Songs to Scrub By: Our Shower Playlist

Start this YouTube playlist now to listen along, whether you’re in the shower or not.

It’s all well and good to have a dedicated shower speaker like this water-resistant JAM Splash, complete with suction cups on the back and a lanyard to hang it from the showerhead. But it seems like listening to something in the shower should always be more satisfying than it is.

I think I know why. If you’re anything like me (Meh writer and cartoon pair of glasses Jason Toon), you don’t listen to anything made to be listened to in the shower. What if there were a listening experience tailored to the shower, to its peaks and lulls, to its mood of steamy hygiene, even to its running time? Wouldn’t that be more satisfying than some random music or podcast that has nothing to do with showering and doesn’t come to a conclusion with the shower? Let’s find out with this hand-curated, hand-scrubbed shower soundtrack (also available as that YouTube playlist we mentioned earlier)…

Sid Siegel - "My Bathroom"
Unwind into the bathing mood with this languid, brassy ode to a “a private kind of place” where you can “really feel in bloom.” Recorded in 1969 for the American-Standard toilet company, and an oft-played favorite around the Jason Toon household since it re-emerged a couple of years ago:

After School - "Shampoo"
Now that bracing water hits your skin to the surging, sparkling sounds of K-pop hit factory After School. No idea what it’s about, but it’s called “Shampoo”, and it certainly sounds clean:

The Jarmels - "A Little Bit of Soap"
As you continue scrubbing, next comes the thinking music fan’s alternative to “Splish Splash”. This 1961 hit, the Jarmels’ only chart entry, is as much about regret as it is about soap. Like most of my showers, actually:

Wolf Alice - "Soapy Water"
Your shower is peaking. You’re enveloped in a haze of steam. Time slows down. Bubbles swirl around your feet. It seems like you’ve been in here… forever… are you actually hearing this trip-rock whisper from Brit indie phenoms Wolf Alice, or are you hallucinating it?:

Outkast - "So Fresh, So Clean"
Turn that spigot off and revel in the fresh feeling. This is as clean as you’ll be until your next shower. Celebrate with this Outkast klassik. Ain’t nobody dope as you:

The English Beat - "Mirror in the Bathroom"
Time for a reckoning. Here you stand, naked and alone, before the pitiless mirror. There are no pretenses here, no lies. You take yourself in with the sharp, self-critical eye of the Beat’s uptight new-wave ska:

Joe Bataan - "Aftershower Funk"
Now, freshly scrubbed and prepped, you’re ready to face the world! With this Joe Bataan Latin-funk stormer soundtracking your next move, the streets belong to you:

Now let’s hear your idea of the perfect shower playlist. The lyrics don’t have to be shower-related, since we’ve already scooped up all the best ones. It should just reflect the mood, arc, and duration of your ideal shower. Put it together on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever and post it in the forum.

Take us on a sonic journey into your shower! No pics please! Seriously, no pics!