‘I’ve only been addicted to two things – funk and praise’: Eddie Marsan’s honest playlist
Actor Eddie Marsan shares the songs that shaped his life, including his love for funk, his dislike of Les Misérables, and the Eric Clapton song that moved him to tears after becoming a father.
The first song I fell in love with
Eddie Marsan recalls hearing George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” as a little boy while on holiday in a caravan on the Isle of Sheppey. He describes it as a song about searching for God, and he always thought the shift from Hallelujah to Hare Krishna was beautiful.
The first single I bought
His first single was Rick James’s “Big Time”, purchased from Paul’s Music on Cambridge Heath Road in London. Even at a young age, he liked funk. Marsan says he has only been addicted to two things in life: funk and praise.
The song I can no longer listen to
At drama school, Les Misérables was very popular. Marsan came from being an apprentice printer and there were all these guys with rollnecks and tied-back hair singing about Javert. He couldn’t stand it. Out of everything, Les Mis pisses him off the most.
The best song to play at a party
“Candy” by Cameo, because it’s a funky line dance. Even if you can’t dance, you can follow the person next to you.
The song I do at karaoke
Etta James’s “I Just Want to Make Love to You”, because by that time of night you’re probably drunk, so you can sing or shout it and be fine.
The song I secretly like, but tell everyone I hate
Throughout his career, Marsan has tried to appear erudite and articulate and not a caricatured cockney. But he thinks “Ain’t No Pleasing You” by Chas & Dave is one of the best British songs of the last 50 years.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
He has known every word of Elvis Presley’s “Guitar Man” since childhood, despite its fast syntax.
The best song to have sex to
Anything by Billie Holiday. But if his wife starts playing “Strange Fruit”, he has something to worry about.
The song that changed my life
When he was younger, Marsan lacked confidence, especially with girls. When he first heard James Brown’s “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”, he thought: I want to lose myself in this. He could escape his own insecurities by dancing.
The song that gets me up in the morning
Charles Aznavour’s “For Me… Formidable” makes him feel cultured while making his morning coffee.
The song that makes me cry
When his first child was born, he was being driven to a set in Virginia and Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” came on the radio. The song was written when Clapton’s baby boy died. With a new baby, you are filled with new emotions. Marsan never realised the significance of that song until that moment.
The song I’d like played at my funeral
“Are You Havin’ Any Fun?” by Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra.
“No Ordinary Heist” is on Now and Sky Cinema on 27 June.
