It’s that time of year again, when a trip to the garden centre for a slice of homemade cake and some tomato plants feels like a really good idea. For those who like to think they have a green finger or three, Sweet Baboo has put together a playlist of songs to listen to while gardening, just ahead of the release of new album ‘Wild Imagination’ (pre-order here). Maybe it won’t be so wild after we’re done with the pruning shears, eh? Eh?
“It’s only in the last few years that I’ve taken up gardening. My great grandfather worked as a gardener and both my grandmother and my parents are green-fingered.
“I’ve spent so much of the last few years touring that I needed to do something a million miles away from music when I get home.
“Gardening helps me forget about being in a band, is the best possible procrastination, it clears all the cobwebs gets me out of the house and it’s like exercising too.
“If I’m being honest, listening to music is the last thing I want to do while in the garden but if it was this is what I might play.”
Wings – Love is Strange
I guess you want to ease yourself in, get your tools ready, say hello to your neighbours. I reckon my neighbours would be on board with this blasting from the stereo.
Jonathan Richman – My Baby Love Love Loves Me
This song would be me trying to impress my neighbours, seeing if they wanted to come over to dance. If they joined in, I knew I could ask to borrow their strimmer. If they shut the door then I knew it wasn’t meant to be.
Brian Eno – Another Green World
This song has nothing to do with my neighbours but is useful if the sun is out and you need a short sit down in the shade and a Robinsons. And it’s called Another Green World so ties into our gardening theme quite nicely.
Dillard and Clark – Why Not Your Baby
This song has nothing to do with gardening but it’s the best and I can imagine myself with a piece of grass in my mouth whilst listening to it over and over again in the sunshine.
Hank Williams – My Bucket’s got a Hole in it
Not only do you not want to have a hole in your bucket while gardening, I think Hank Williams might be the perfect music to be outside tending your plants.
Louvin Brothers – Love Thy Neighbour
This is still on the country tip. I’m guessing I’d tune into the Grand Ole Opry at some point if I was out there all day. This is me trying to get back in my neighbour’s good books after the disaster of Jonathan Richman track in the morning.
Jonathan Richman – Since She Started To Ride
Now the neighbours are back on my side, I’ll hit them with another Jonathan Richman song. A country number to boot. I’ll definitely be able to cut down their hedge then.
Elton John – Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting
So I’m not much of a fighter, but if I was to fight it would more than likely be on a Saturday night. In Gardening, fighting is used as a term to uproot a difficult plant or tree and move it to a new spot in the Garden.
The Carpenters – Rainy Days and Mondays
The Carpenters – Rainbow Connection
I thought I’d finish on two weather-based songs by the Carpenters.
And that’s the end of my gardening based playlist. Please feel free to add any other songs you may wish to hear.
Sweet Baboo’s new album ‘Wild Imagination’ is out 2nd June.