Soundtrack Of My Life: Hannah Gadsby

8 March, 2024

Hannah Gadsby

The first song I remember hearing

Boney M. – ‘Mary’s Boy Child’

“It’s difficult to really pinpoint, but this was probably the one on highest rotation in our family home growing up. Some people would call that a Christmas song, but why limit yourself? We weren’t a religious family but we did religiously clap in unison during the lyric ‘Mary’s boy child [CLAP!] Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day‘.”

The first album I ever bought

An album by Mental As Anything

“When I was a kid, I entered the MS Read-A-Thon for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and I read a lot of books for it. But only because I chose books that were way below my age group. I read all the Grug books, and all the Mr. Men books. No one really checked, they were just like, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of books!’ For my efforts, I won a highlighter – pink – and a gift voucher for Lizzy’s This N That, which was the one shop in town. I went in with 14 dollars, because that’s how much the cassettes cost, and I think I panicked. I bought an album I liked the cover of, which was an Australian group called Mental As Anything. So, that’s auspicious.”

The first gig I went to

Cliff Richard at the Launceston Velodrome, 1991

“My sister took me to my first gig. She was sad for me, because my brother got into the Tasmanian Junior Bowling team – now this is outdoor bowls, so not fun times with cool shoes and disco lights, this is outdoors with old men wearing white. Mum permed his hair and sent him over to the mainland of Australia for the competition. My sister felt bad that I might be missing my little buddy, so she took me to see Cliff Richard. Cliff Richard hasn’t stuck with me. I was probably overwhelmed, but he did do his own stunts on roller skates, and I was very excited to participate in the ‘Living Doll’ call-and-response bit.”

The artist that reminds me of home

Cat Stevens

“It’s probably not a song as much as it’s Cat Stevens. We just didn’t have a lot of music at home. The music I listened to I had to stay up late and watch on Rage, which is the Australian overnight music video programme, which I loved. Love a music clip. But what our family listened to was not that. It was more Demis Roussos, ‘Forever And Ever’. And ever and ever.”

The song I wish I’d written

The Beach Boys – ‘God Only Knows’

“I wish I’d written any song at this point. It’d be cool to be able to write a song. I’d love to have written anything by Brian Wilson in his early days. Early-doors Brian Wilson. I wish I’d been able to write that music and then taken less drugs and continued to write that music. Shout out to Brian if he’s listening.”

The song I can’t get out of my head

Kylie Minogue – ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’

“Because as soon as I heard that question, that’s what popped in. And now it’s there. And I can’t get it out of my head.”

The artist I can no longer listen to

Joni Mitchell

“I struggle to listen to Joni Mitchell. And that makes me sad, because I think she’s a great musician. It’s just that I don’t like surprises, and she has a lot of surprises in her music.”

The song that makes me want to dance

Ween – ‘Piss Up A Rope’

“Let’s clarify first and say, ‘what makes me want to want to dance?’ I just don’t think I can overstate just how far away from dancing I live as a natural state. But this song really does it for me. It’s completely inappropriate. I’m trying to replace it with Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’. Similar vibe, better lyrics.”

The song that makes me cry

Rilo Kiley – ‘A Better Son/Daughter’

“None. I don’t really do the tears thing. My feelings just don’t often translate into tears, so I’ll just say what song evokes some sombre sads. It played at the end of my show Nanette, so that song makes me feel… a lot.”