Puff, the Magic Dragon
Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton, 1963 · Peter, Paul and Mary
Bruce sang this one with a guitar, in the middle of a circle at a science fiction convention in 1983. That is probably the moment I fell in love with him.
From the memoir
The Songs in How Did I Survive?
Five songs run through the book. I could not print the words — they belong to the people who wrote them. But the words were never the point. Go and hear them sung.
Cat’s in the Cradle
Harry Chapin and Sandy Chapin, 1974 · Harry Chapin
I used to sit on the front steps all day, waiting for my father.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman, 1988 · Tracy Chapman
I was sitting in a car while my husband pounded on the window.
Goodbye My Lover
James Blunt and Sacha Skarbek, 2004 · James Blunt
I played this one for Bruce near the end, and we almost reached an understanding. Now I play it alone.
Monsters
James Blunt, Amy Wadge and Jimmy Hogarth, 2019 · James Blunt
I played this down the telephone to my father while he was dying.
All songs are the property of their writers and publishers. Nothing on this page reproduces any lyric. The links go to search results, so you can choose the recording you want.