Music can transcend us from our current state and heal the wounds medicine can’t touch. That’s why we created a playlist curated with special care for those struggling with chronic illness like Lyme disease. From relatable to sad to inspirational, this playlist has it all.
The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)- Jason Mraz
Favorite lyric: The remedy is the experience. It is a dangerous liaison/ I say the comedy is that it’s serious. Which is a strange enough new play on words
Do you ever feel like you’re worrying your life away? Because what other option do you have?
Mraz thinks you should take your chronic illness seriously, and yet, he thinks the only thing you can really do is maybe try to not take it so seriously. That’s the funny thing about chronic illness.
Fight Song- Rachel Platten
Favorite lyric: This is my fight song/ Take back my life song/ Prove I’m alright song
When you are chronically ill, you need an anthem. You need a reminder that you can do this, and this song is the perfect song to cheer you on.
Liability- Lorde
Favorite lyric: The truth is I am a toy that people enjoy ’til all of the tricks don’t work anymore
This is a song for the days you feel like you’re just too much of a burden for people in your life. You can’t be the same person you used to be, and people start to pull away when they realize that your friendship is dependent upon them putting in more effort.
Bruises- Train (ft. Ashley Monroe)
Favorite lyric: You’re not alone in how you’ve been/ Everybody loses, we all got bruises
Life deals everybody different cards, and somehow you got handed chronic illness. It never feels like it, but all your bruises make for better conversation. At least that’s what the song says. Everyone is going through hard times, and it’s a good reminder that your struggles have meaning—if you let them.
Pompeii- Bastille
Favorite lyric: How am I going to be an optimist about this?
Before chronic illness, you probably lived a healthy and normal life and didn’t think twice about it. Suddenly, everything came crashing down and when the dust settled, it hardly meant things were finished.
This is now your reality, and while you sometimes might try to close your eyes and pretend that nothing has changed at all, everything has. And how are you supposed to be optimistic about it?
Just for Now- Imogen Heap
Favorite lyric: Lie down/ Deep breaths/ Count to ten/ Nod your head
This song is written about the holiday chaos and what it’s like when it’s time to push aside everything that has been hard and just embrace this happy occasion. Kind of hard to do with chronic illness, huh?
Aside from the holiday season, it’s pretty applicable to every other interaction with somebody who doesn’t understand what chronic illness is. You prepare yourself to put a smile on and “leave all your hoplessnesses aside,” but really you’re just thinking, “get me out of here…”
A Little Bit Longer- Jonas Brothers
Favorite lyric: Waiting on a cure/But none of them are sure
Yes, this is that teeny-bop band the Jonas Brothers. But really, Nick Jonas’s struggle with Type 1 diabetes is relatable to anyone with chronic illness.
There is no cure—just ways to manage your illness. Other people don’t understand how hard it is and how low you feel but if you can hold on a little bit longer, it will be okay.
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)- Kelly Clarkson
Favorite lyric: You think you got the best of me/ Think you had the last laugh
Yes, technically a break-up song. The message still resonates, though. If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger. The combination of Clarkson belting it out and the catchy pop tune, and it almost seems like it will be easy.
Angel Down- Lady Gaga
Favorite lyric: Oh, I’m a believer, it’s chaos/ Where are our leaders?
Often times, people just stand around and don’t do anything. The insurance companies, the doctors, the ignorant people around you. With Lyme, they say that it can just be treated with antibiotics and that somehow everyone is “faking” it.
We’re not faking it and we’re angels in need of saving.
Keep Breathing- Ingrid Michaelson
Favorite lyric: I want to change the world, instead I sleep.
Is that not the most “I have chronic illness” lyric you’ve ever heard? You want to be doing so much more than you are, but you don’t have the energy.
Michaelson repeats over and over “All we can do is keep breathing” almost as if she is trying to convince herself. Some days it is just one second, one breath at a time.
Keep Holding On – Avril Lavigne
Favorite lyric: And it feels like the end/ There’s no place to go/ You know I won’t give in
This song is beautiful tribute to those who help you keep going. Whether it’s a fellow Lymie or a loved one who stands by you through it all. If you just keep holding on, you’ll make it through.
Plus, Avril has Lyme disease, so she understands.
A Little Bit Stronger- Sara Evans
Favorite lyric: I got dressed through the mess and put a smile on my face/ I got a little bit stronger
Each day you get up and push through the pain, you get a little bit stronger. It may not feel like it. It may just feel like you are getting weaker and more heartbroken, but you’re actually getting stronger for it.
Like our song choices? You can listen to the playlist on Spotify here.