Desert Island Discs - my castaway kitchen tunes

When I had some crazy insomnia in my latter stages of pregnancy, I was too big, fat and lazy to get out of bed and be useful. It was 4am, I was over-tired, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I've heard of people getting up and cleaning, baking, organising baby clothes - not me. I chose to lay there with my eyes closed and have something that required minimal effort to entertain me.

After Veggie Baby was born, I publicly thanked various cereal manufacturers, ALDI icy poles and the Apple iPod for getting me through the nine-month slog. Without podcasts to listen to in the dead of night, and even when I was too tired to exist after 32 weeks, I would have been one very sad panda. And I was already crying at Huggies ads, so the whole thing would be a ghastly disaster.

One of the podcasts I listened to and loved was BBC Radio's Desert Island Discs. Each week since 1942, a celebrity guest has been asked to choose eight pieces of music, a book, and a luxury item to see them through a solitary stay on a desert island. They chat about their lives and loves and the music that they can't live without and it is all terribly fascinating. And it got me thinking - If I was trapped in a kitchen for let's say, the next eighteen years (not unreasonable for a mum, right?), what would be the music that would ensure my sanity?

Veggie Mama, welcome to Desert Island Discs.

Track 1: Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd.
Apparently quite the popular choice. It's quiet and dreamy and you can get lost in it... the days will be long on this desert island, and I'm assuming I'll be doing a lot of daydreaming. This is the perfect soundtrack to that.

Track 2: Linoleum - NOFX.
It's my favourite song of this surprisingly wordsmithy punk band. It's a little bit of nonsense for when I'm in a good mood and want to sing about metal detectors.

Track 3: Cleaning out My Closet - Eminem.
I'm certain there will be times when I will be furious I'm stuck on a desert island alone. There is no better song to sing along to when you're in a rage. It'll be the equivalent of a screaming fly-kick into a palm tree to release pent-up aggression. So cleansing!

Track 4: Pork and Beans - Weezer.
It is impossible to still be angry about anything in the world after listening to this song.

Track 5: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 - Coheed and Cambria.
One of my favourite songs from my favourite band. Will also be useful in an anthemic way if I am ever under attack and need to wage war against an unseen enemy. You can make a battlestation on the beach, right?

Track 6: You Were Always on My Mind - Elvis.
I used to listen to Elvis in the kitchen when I was a little Veggie. My ma always had music on when she was cooking, and Elvis was my favourite. I still remember sitting on a benchtop looking out a window and bawling my eyes out to the song "Don't Cry Daddy"... I was seven, and it was DEVASTATING. I was quite a serious child!

Track 7: My Life - Billy Joel
When I've got a little bit of attitude and I want to stick it to the man, I'll play this one. Always guaranteed to take me to my happy place.

Track 8: Holiday - Madonna
Celebrate! With this and my luxury item, I'll have a blast on the desert island.


I have received the Bible and the Complete Works of Shakespeare for my trip, and am allowed to bring one more. I choose War and Peace, as I'll finally get the time to read it all!

My luxury item will be ice-cold pina coladas. With a little umbrella.

So have at it - what would be your choices for a castaway kitchen playlist?