Artist and musician Billy Martin, drummer of the band Medeski Martin & Wood and a sometime collaborator with The Slowdown (he composed the jingle of our Time Sensitive podcast), created for us a playlist of songs that are helping him get through the current coronavirus quarantine. While chatting with him about his selection, Martin invoked the words of Samuel Beckett: “You must go on. I can’t go on. I’ll go on.”

“Of course, the feeling is that things are uncertain, and every day is a new reality—no one can escape this,” Martin says. “We’re all in this together, as human beings. We’re talking about humanity here, and we need to come together whenever there’s a crisis. Even as we’re all in self-quarantine, I feel a deeper collective consciousness and connection to everyone—this idea that we’re alone together.” He continues, “I’m very much a wordless musician. I’m very creative on the sound and rhythm aspect, obviously, being a drummer, but also as a composer. Normally, when I make a playlist it will feature a lot of experimental music, classical and instrumental, mixed with other genres and things—but this one turned out to be all songs with words. That’s unusual for me.

“I was deeply moved by this music and was close to tears several times listening to it, getting goosebumps, the hair rising on my arms, just feeling this intense and bittersweet, beautiful feeling that we’re facing this scary, uncertain future. But the general message is this: We need to love, we need to come together and collectively to figure this out and get through this together. It really comes down to love.”

“For What It’s Worth,” The Staple Singers

“Stop everybody, look what’s going down.”

“This is Not America,” David Bowie, Pat Metheny Group

“Expectations shattered.”

“Under Pressure,” Queen, David Bowie

“Come together—we must.”

“You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” Stevie Wonder

“This one’s for our ‘commander-in-chief.’”

“Whiskey River,” Willie Nelson

“I’m not promoting the abuse of alcohol or drugs, but it’s obvious some are going to party like it’s the end of the world.”

“Teach Me Tonight,” Dinah Washington

“We all have a lot to learn.”

“Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow,” Nat King Cole

“Why not?”

“Forget Me,” Born Ruffians

“We are all in this together.”

“Here Comes the Sun,” Nina Simone

“Onward and upwards.”

“My Baby Just Cares for Me,” Nina Simone

“Priorities.”

“Let the Good Times Roll,” Ray Charles

“Party time.”

“Come Rain or Come Shine,” Ray Charles

“Love is the answer.”

“Smile,” Nat King Cole

“Nothing like getting a smile from a stranger.”

“Hurt,” Johnny Cash

“Repent.”