I set the topic of illness as cold germs were pinballing around my house, but by the time I compiled the playlist I was fighting fit. Good job too. I don't imagine it would be much fun listening to TB Sheets while lying in bed and knocking back Lemsip.
Most weeks, I discover there are far more songs about a theme than I expected. This time, there were far fewer. Once I removed drink, drugs, mental illness and unspecified causes of death from the mix, the choice was pretty easy. As was the B-list: Duke Ellington (Blood Count), Frank Black (Headache), Radiohead (The Bends), the Ethiopians (Hong Kong Flu), Sweet Honey in the Rock (More Than a Paycheck), Jimmie Rodgers (TB Blues), Manic Street Preachers (4st 7lb or Ocean Spray), Lou Reed (Sword of Damocles), REM (The Wrong Child) and Sir John Betjeman (A Child Ill).
DarceysDad asked for a less morose subject this week, and I quite agree, so the theme is smiling and laughing. Not much ambiguity there, I hope - songs which specifically and significantly mention the act of smiling or laughing. I think the only relevant song we've already had is the Isley Brothers' Behind a Painted Smile. First person to suggest Bowie's The Laughing Gnome wins a biscuit.
Have a look at the Readers Recommend archive and the A-Z. Deadline is midday on Monday. Ho ho ho.
