The Cribs' Gary Jarman has revealed the songs that define his life, from a childhood obsession with the Bee Gees to a secret love for an 80s power ballad. In an honest playlist for the Guardian, the bassist shared the tracks that make him cry, get him up in the morning, and even the one he'd like played at his funeral—though he insists on avoiding one particularly rude song.
The First Song He Fell in Love With
According to his mother, Jarman and his twin brother and bandmate Ryan would sing along to the Flying Pickets' Only You on the Christmas Top of the Pops. 'We now use it as our walk-on song and it makes my mum quite emotional,' he said.
The First Single He Bought
Jarman purchased Somewhere in My Heart by Aztec Camera from Boots in Wakefield in 1988, after hearing it at a disco during a holiday at Pontins in Morecambe.
Karaoke Go-To and Secret Guilty Pleasure
For karaoke, Jarman chooses Tarzan Boy by Baltimora, a song he's performed since it was obscure, long before its resurgence in Stranger Things. He also admitted a secret love for Jennifer Rush's The Power of Love, despite it being 'overproduced and lays on the emotion far too thickly'.
Inexplicable Lyrics and a Rinsed Song
Jarman knows every lyric to the Bee Gees' For Whom the Bell Tolls from listening to Size Isn't Everything on cassette in 1993. Conversely, he can no longer listen to Martika's Toy Soldiers, which he 'absolutely rinsed' as a teenager.
Party Anthem and Sex Soundtrack
He recommends the Replacements' Bastards of Young for parties, calling it 'exciting and raw but has more meaning'. For sex, he fantasizes about the Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody, inspired by Patrick Swayze in Ghost, noting it's better than the Replacements' Gary's Got a Boner.
Life-Changing Song and Tear-Jerker
A friend's older brother's compilation tape introduced Jarman to heavy music, but it was Nirvana's In Bloom that changed his life. He also cries easily, recently tearing up to Beachwood Sparks' cover of Sade's By Your Side.
Morning and Funeral Choices
He starts his day with Queen's Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy, calling it a 'dandyish way to start the day'. For his funeral, he chose George Harrison's Be Here Now because it's 'not too lugubrious', explicitly ruling out the Replacements' Gary's Got a Boner.
The Cribs tour the UK this month, starting in Leeds on 11 July.
