Chronically Strong – Music To Give You Strength

Isn’t it amazing how music can change how you feel?  I have relished in the feelings that certain songs have conjured up for decades – I remember listening to music that made me cry when we made the big journey from Canada to the UK when I was 12 years old.  Sad, moving songs full of emotion tend to be my go-to when I am dealing with affairs of the heart.  I guess it sounds a bit strange but actually, research shows that the process of listening to sad songs creates mood-boosting effects that can bring comfort to the listener.

When it comes to using music to help me deal with my Multiple Sclerosis and the emotions that can arise from that, I tend to prefer a more positive approach – songs that leave me feeling ‘up’ and like I can do anything, no matter how difficult things are.  Some are songs that I have loved forever – hello Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ – others are ones that I feel have become more pertinent since my MS has started affecting me.  I hope that you like these too.

I’m Still Standing – Elton John

You know I’m still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
I’m still standing after all this time….

Shake it Out – Florence and the Machine

Shake it out, shake it out,
Shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out,
Shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

Never Give Up  – Sia

And I won’t let you get me down
I’ll keep gettin’ up when I hit the ground
Oh, never give up, no, never give up no, no, oh
I won’t let you get me down
I’ll keep gettin’ up when I hit the ground
Oh, never give up, no, never give up no, no, oh

You Get What You Give – New Radicals

You’ve got the music in you
Don’t let go
You’ve got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don’t give up
You’ve got a reason to live
Can’t forget
We only get what we give

Jump – Van Halen

I get up, and nothin’ gets me down
You got it tough, I’ve seen the toughest around
And I know, baby, just how you feel
You got to roll with the punches and get to what’s real…

… might as well jump

Survivor – Destiny’s Child

I’m a survivor (what), I’m not gon’ give up (what)
I’m not gon’ stop (what), I’m gon’ work harder (what)
I’m a survivor (what), I’m gonna make it (what)
I will survive (what), keep on survivin’ (what)

Get Up Stand Up – Bob Marley

Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Don’t give up the fight

Tubthumping – Chumbawumba

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You are never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You are never gonna keep me down

Alive – Pearl Jam

Is something wrong?
She said
Of course there is
You’re still alive
She said

Alive – Sia

I had a one-way ticket to a place where all the demons go
Where the wind don’t change
And nothing in the ground can ever grow
No hope, just lies
And you’re taught to cry into your pillow
But I survived

Silver Lining – First Aid Kit

Something good comes with the bad
A song’s never just sad
There’s hope, there’s a silver lining
Show me my silver lining
Show me my silver lining

Feeling Good – Nina Simone

Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Oh, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me

And I’m feelin’… good

Ain’t Got No (I Got Life) – Nina Simone

I’ve got the life
And I’m gonna keep it
I’ve got the life
And nobody’s gonna take it away
I’ve got the life

Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac

If you wake up and don’t want to smile
If it takes just a little while
Open your eyes and look at the day
You’ll see things in a different way

Firework – Katy Perry

Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
‘Cause there’s a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Be Still – The Killers

Don’t break character
You’ve got a lot of heart
Is this real or just a dream?
Rise up like the sun
Labor till the work is done

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‘Til next time