> Skip to content

Article  •  16 June 2016

 

Musical therapy

A hospital playlist from By Your Side author Jason Carrasco.

By Jason Carrasco

To pass the time in hospital, my friend Cass and I made playlists so we could sing and dance together. Here are our top ten favourite songs.

1. Bom Bom – Sam and the Womp
Cass loved watching music channels and every time this came on she would get in front of the TV and do the bom bom dance!

2. Get Lucky – Daft Punk
This was our jam! We had this on repeat and knew the words by heart.

3. You’re Beautiful – Taio Cruz
I gave this song to Cass on her last days. It sums her up perfectly.

4. Treatment – Labrinth
Cass loved this song because it used to be on the radio and she would say, ‘I need treatment too!’

5. Adorn – Miguel
Cass was a huge fan of R’n’B, particularly this song. When she was up to it she would go to a nightclub and come back to me saying, ‘I danced all night, Jason! Are you proud?’

6. Beggin’ – Madcon
This song was always in our playlists because it’s got such a happy vibe.

7. I’ll Be Missing You – Puff Daddy
Not something we listened to a lot, but something I often put on when I’m thinking of Cass. ‘Even though you’re gone, we still a team…’

8. I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
One of Cass’s friends said she left this song on her phone because she thought it reminded her of us. Cass never gave up on me and I’m still not giving up on her story.

9. A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay
I love this song because it reminds me of my journey with Cass. To me, this song is about embracing whatever happens to you and trusting that the universe will have everything worked out.

10. Crave You – Flight Facilities
When Cass would go home and I’d be stuck in the hospital alone, I’d put my headphones on and listen to this song on repeat. The melody has an amazing ability to take you to a different place, which is exactly what I wanted.

Feature Title

By Your Side
'I’ll be waiting for you, and when we beat this thing we are going to celebrate.'
Read more

More features

See all
Article
Dear Cass

Jason say thanks and shares a very special letter.

Article
Life counts

By Your Side author and cancer survivor Jason Carrasco's 12 life tips.

Article
Shaun Johnson Book Signings

Meet Shaun Johnson as he launches his autobiography!

Article
Booker Prize shortlist 2025

The shortlist for the 2025 Booker Prize has been announced, with four Penguin Random House titles named this year.

Article
Your guide to Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series

Here’s what you need to know about Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series – including which order to read the books!

Article
Poison or pasta sauce? A guide to New Zealand's edible weeds

Becky, our Penguin NZ Director, shares 5 ways to use 5 edible weeds she found in her garden with the help of Andrew Crowe's Edible Weeds Handbook!

Article
10 black cat boyfriends from must-read books

It’s official: the internet has dubbed Conrad Fisher a ‘black cat boyfriend’. Here are a few other black cat book boyfriends to keep you swooning.

Article
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori catalogue 2025

Kōrerotia te reo this Māori Language Week 2025 with our selection of Māori Language books.

Article
What we're gifting this Father's Day

For Father's Day 2025, we're celebrating how books can keep us close to our dads and dad-like figures.

Article
Romantasy Recommendations

Wanting to get into reading romantasy but not sure where to start? Read on for our top picks of the genre!

Article
QUIZ: Which Hawthorne brother is your soulmate?

Take this quiz to find out which Hawthorne brother from The Inheritance Games series would be your perfect match.

Article
The Lottie Brooks books, in order

Don’t know which order to read the Lottie Brooks books? Find out which to read first, and learn a little bit about each book.

Looking for more articles?

See all articles