> 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
Abbey’s bookshop in Sydney is celebrating 90 years of Penguin books

Learn about the 4-day Penguin pop-up hosted by Abbey’s bookshop, including special release editions, bookmarks and limited-edition tote bags.

Article
Write It Fellowship Shortlist 2025

We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the Write It Fellowship 2025.

Article
Your guide to pre-ordering Alchemised

Learn how to pre-order Alchemised by SenLin Yu and join the thousands of readers who will start reading it on 23 September 2025.

Article
How to make Book Week less stressful

5 tips to help you plan now and avoid Book Week stress later.

Article
Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant 2025

Learn more and apply for the Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant – a $200,000 initiative designed to engage young readers.

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.

Article
James Beard Award-winning cookbooks of 2025

Check out some of the incredible books honoured at the 2025 James Beard Foundation Book Awards.

Article
QUIZ: Which YA thriller should you read next?

Take this quiz to find out which YA thriller should be your next read!

Article
Penguin Fantasy Fest 2025

Penguin Fantasy Fest is back and better than ever!

Looking for more articles?

See all articles
penguin pop image
penguin pop image