Life in Seven Songs

Rufus Wainwright’s rough road to becoming ‘the greatest songwriter on the planet’ Feb 18, 2025

Over the last three decades, Rufus Wainwright has released 10 studio albums, written two operas, and countless songs for TV and film. He’s been praised for his originality—Elton John once called him the songwriting GOAT. But in this episode, Rufus explains why having the confidence to be himself was really just about survival. Here are his songs:

1. Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland

2. Heart Like a Wheel - Kate & Anna McGarrigle

3. I'm Losing You - Kate & Anna McGarrigle

4. Raspberry Beret - Prince

5. Begin the Beguine - Ella Fitzgerald

6. La Donna è Mobile - Luciano Pavarotti

7. Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

Listen to Rufus Wainwright’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Inside actor Rita Wilson's other life as a singer Feb 04, 2025

Actor, producer, and director Rita Wilson is known for her performances in films like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Now and Then.” Her name can be found on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in credits for massive hits like “Mamma Mia!” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” (She's also been married to one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Tom Hanks, for the past 37 years.) But despite her success, Rita spent her entire career dreaming of a different one—to be a singer-songwriter. In this episode, Rita talks about taking risks later in life, grappling with regret and grief, and finally finding her voice as a musician. Here are her songs.

Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry
Everything I Own - Bread
She’s Leaving Home - The Beatles
California - Joni Mitchell
I will Always Love you - Linda Ronstadt
Slip Slidin’ Away - Paul Simon
Some Things I'll Never Know - Teddy Swims

Listen to Rita Wilson’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Director Cord Jefferson on winning an Oscar and writing for love Jan 21, 2025

Writer and director Cord Jefferson charts his journey from being a rule-following kid to an angry teenager to an adult with depression. After a lifetime of rejection, Cord shares what helped him finally make "American Fiction," the Oscar-winning film that was always in him. Here are his songs.

Flamenco Sketches - Miles Davis
The What - Notorious B.I.G. (Feat. Method Man)
Boxcar - Jawbreaker
My Old School - Steely Dan
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) - Talking Heads
If It Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow
Ben's My Friend - Sun Kil Moon

Listen to Cord Jefferson’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Introducing Professional Book Nerds: An Interview with Daniel Handler Jan 14, 2025

On this special episode, we’re featuring a conversation from our friends at the Professional Book Nerds podcast, a podcast from the book nerds at OverDrive.

Every week host Joe Skelley chats book recommendations on a theme with his friends and bookish experts, interviews authors and personalities, and encourages people to check out all the amazing resources their library has to offer. Ranked number 5 of the top 100 book podcasts, this is the place for book nerds!

In today’s episode, Joe chats with author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) LIVE during his book tour for And Then? And Then? What Else? Joe and Daniel talk about Tim Curry, sharing your personal life publicly, and what exactly it’s like being Lemony Snicket.

Listen to more episodes of Professional Book Nerds and follow the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/professional-book-nerds/id1065515588

Failing publicly and feeling at home with Nextdoor’s Nirav Tolia Jan 07, 2025

Cofounder and CEO of Nextdoor, Nirav Tolia, looks back on his childhood in small-town Texas, and how an inner conflict about belonging may have led to him creating the first social network for neighbors. With his commitment to building community, it’s no surprise two of his seven songs include the words ‘home’ and ‘house’ in their titles.

Take me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
The Reflex – Duran Duran
World in My Eyes – Depeche Mode
Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
If My Heart Was a House – Owl City
Con Te Partirò – Andrea Bocelli
Beautiful Day – U2

Listen to Nirav Tolia’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions?

Rock photographer Jay Blakesberg on capturing the souls of legends Dec 17, 2024

From Nirvana to BB King, The Rolling Stones to Radiohead, legendary rock photographer Jay Blakesberg has been documenting music icons for nearly 40 years. His work has been published in thousands of magazines, documentaries and books, but what he’s most known for is creating a seminal photographic archive of the Grateful Dead. Here are his songs.

Hey Jude – The Beatles
Black Water – The Doobie Brothers
Wooden Ships – Crosby Stills & Nash
Eyes of The World – Grateful Dead
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) – Talking Heads
Tangled up in Blue – Bob Dylan
Attics of My Life – Grateful Dead

Listen to Jay Blakesberg’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Sandra Bernhard’s ‘risky, beautiful, and heartbreaking’ life Dec 03, 2024

From her groundbreaking role playing one of the first openly gay characters on television, to her iconic appearances on David Letterman — where she repeatedly made the host speechless — actor and comedian Sandra Bernhard has always been unapologetically herself. And yet, decades into her career, she says she still discovers new layers every time she performs. Here are her songs.

Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day
Stop! In The Name Of Love – The Supremes
Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
People's Parties – Joni Mitchell
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Sylvester
Lose Again – Linda Ronstadt
Edge Of Seventeen – Stevie Nicks

Listen to Sandra Bernhard’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Chesa Boudin, raised by radicals, on the songs that shaped him Nov 19, 2024

Lawyer Chesa Boudin’s professional life has been nearly as tumultuous as his upbringing. He was raised by family friends because his parents—members of the Weather Underground—were incarcerated for crimes committed when he was just 14 months old. Boudin eventually became a progressive San Francisco district attorney representing criminal justice reform. However, he was recalled a few years later. These are his songs.

Worlds Apart (1985 Original Broadway Cast) – Daniel Jenkins
Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
Dear Mama – Tupac Shakur
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be – Free Nina Simone
Be (Intro) – Common
Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
Baby Shark – Pinkfong

Listen to Chesa Boudin’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Rahsaan “New York” Thomas on breaking barriers behind bars Nov 05, 2024

Rahsaan “New York” Thomas spent more than two decades incarcerated before being granted a commutation for his rehabilitation efforts behind bars. He shares how his life was shaped by growing up in Brownsville, “the murder capital of New York,” the music that got him through prison life and what he’s working on now. Here are his songs.

Rapper's Delight – The Sugarhill Gang
Survival of the Fittest – Mobb Deep
Do What I Gotta Do – Ralph Tresvant
Good Man – India Arie
Black – The-Dream
Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down – Alicia Keys

Listen to Rahsaan “New York” Thomas’ full playlist on Spotify and also check out the podcast Ear Hustle about life inside prison. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Why Kara Swisher loves country music and the military Oct 22, 2024

Longtime journalist and media entrepreneur Kara Swisher has been covering Silicon Valley and the Internet since the days of dial-up. She’s taken nearly all of technology's titans to task with a fearless, no-nonsense style. But in this episode, she shows another side of herself: the “San Francisco liberal lesbian who loves country music and wanted to be in the military.” Here are her songs.

The Last Great American Dynasty – Taylor Swift
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day
Corner Of The Sky – John Rubinstein
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
Jesus, Take the Wheel – Carrie Underwood
Wahine ‘Ilikea – Dennis Kamakahi
Quarter Moon – Cheryl Wheeler

Listen to Kara Swisher’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Turns out, Mark Cuban is an emotional guy Oct 08, 2024

Billionaire businessman and investor Mark Cuban is known for making — or crushing — entrepreneurs' dreams on the TV show Shark Tank. But in reality, he's a big softie. Here, he talks about getting his start selling trash bags as a kid, opening a bar before he was even 21, and betting on the Internet early. Here are his seven songs, including his life’s “theme” and a song that brings him to tears.

Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
Life’s Been Good – Joe Walsh
September – Earth, Wind & Fire
Fame – DMX
Rapper's Delight – The Sugarhill Gang
Eminence Front – The Who

Listen to Mark Cuban’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Introducing American Masters: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Can Do That Genre Too! Oct 01, 2024

Today we’re sharing an episode of a podcast from our friends at PBS that we think you’ll really like – American Masters: Creative Spark.

It’s a show that interviews iconic artists across disciplines about their creative journeys in a way that is sure to inspire listeners. This episode features an interview between host Joe Skinner and Tony Award-winning actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The actor discusses the vast “spectrum of realism” in his line of work. Whether it’s the recently released Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Lincoln, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Dark Knight Rises, Mysterious Skin, 500 Days of Summer, or one of the dozens of other projects he’s starred in, Gordon-Levitt really shows his range.

Listen to hear him unpack his creative journey, and find more episodes of American Masters: Creative Spark at https://link.chtbl.com/eOfylsfA?sid=LISS

OpenAI’s Sam Altman: the human behind the machine Sep 24, 2024

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the groundbreaking company leading the development of AGI—artificial general intelligence. AGI aims to create machines that can think, learn, and understand the world like humans—or even better than we can. It’s a concept with the potential to transform every aspect of life, for better or worse. But in this episode, a rare glimpse into the human behind superhuman machine intelligence. Here are his songs.

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2 – Sviatoslav Richter
What’s My Age Again? – Blink-182
That Was a Crazy Game of Poker – O.A.R.
Opus – Eric Prydz
Spring 1 – Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons
Underwater – Rufus du Sol
Your Hand in Mine – Explosions in the Sky

Listen to Sam Altman’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

How Rhodessa Jones went from nude dancer to theater icon Sep 10, 2024

Rhodessa Jones is a performance artist who turned her life as a nude dancer into a theatrical revolution. From her days in a San Francisco peep show, where she danced to Prince’s “Soft and Wet,” Jones crafted her provocative experiences into a one-woman show that shook up the theater world. Ever since, she’s used her art to empower a generation of women to share their own stories. Here are her songs.

How I Got Over – Mahalia Jackson
Cupid – Sam Cooke
I Say A Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin
Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan
Soft and Wet – Prince
What's Going On – Marvin Gaye
A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

Listen to Rhodessa Jones’ full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

How Robert Reich learned to fight bullies Aug 27, 2024

A giant in the field of politics, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich—who stands just under 5 feet tall—has spent a lifetime fighting for, yes, the little guys. He shares how dealing with grade school bullies prepared him to battle for the middle class. Here are his seven songs.

Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops
Lady Madonna – The Beatles
Metaphor – The Fantasticks
Suzanne – Judy Collins

Listen to Robert Reich’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

What Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, says about terror Aug 13, 2024

Daniel Handler, or Lemony Snicket as you may know him, is the author of more than two dozen books, including the 13-book best-selling saga for young adults called "A Series of Unfortunate Events.” In much of Daniel’s work, terrible things happen to people. In this episode, we unpack why. These are his songs.

Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" Mvt III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Ludwig van Beethoven
Where or When - Julie London
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Beethoven (I Love To Listen To) - Eurythmics
Enlightenment - Sun Ra
The Night You Can't Remember - The Magnetic Fields
Main Title and Anatomy of a Murder - Duke Ellington

Listen to Daniel Handler’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

What inspired the original starchitect, Lord Norman Foster Jul 30, 2024

The 89-year-old behind some of the world’s most famous buildings, including Apple’s “Spaceship” headquarters in Cupertino, the Reichstag in Berlin, Wembley Stadium in London and Hearst Tower in New York, shares how growing up in a working-class family and dropping out of school at 16 led to a career transforming workplaces and breaking down class barriers. These are his songs.

I'll Walk Beside You — John McCormack
Symphony No. 7 "Sinfonia antartica": I. Prelude. Allegro maestoso — Ralph Vaughan Williams
West Side Story, Act 1: Prologue (Original Broadway Cast Recording) — Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
The Twist — Chubby Checker
Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 857, WTC I — J.S. Bach
King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: Prelude While Cold Genius Rises - Frost Scene. "What Power Art Thou" — Henry Purcell
Bésame Mucho — Andrea Bocelli

Listen to Norman Foster’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

How comedy saved Margaret Cho’s life Jul 16, 2024

Raunchy, risk-taking and always hilarious, Margaret Cho has had a legendary career as a stand-up comic, actress and musician. She says her success is because of all the trauma she’s survived, not despite it. These are her songs.

(They Long to Be) Close to You — Carpenters
Eleanor Rigby — The Beatles
Doot-Doot — Freur
Our Lips Are Sealed — The Go-Go’s
Groove Is in the Heart — Deee-Lite
Wonderwall — Oasis
Chandelier — Sia

Listen to Margaret Cho’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

‘Life in Seven Songs’ full theme song Jul 09, 2024

We’ve received numerous requests from our listeners about our theme music, and we're excited to share the full track with you today! Composed exclusively for 'Life in Seven Songs' by the talented Kate Davis and Zubin Hensler, this music is an integral part of our show. Enjoy!

He shaped the iPhone—so what shaped Jony Ive? Jul 02, 2024

You may not know his name, but you certainly know his work. Sir Jony Ive is the former chief design officer for Apple, and the mastermind behind devices most cannot imagine living without—the Macbook, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and more. He joined Apple at just 25 years old, and together with Steve Jobs, transformed what was a financially troubled company into a juggernaut. These are his seven songs.

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da – The Police
Main Theme / Carter Takes a Train– Roy Budd
Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone –The Temptations
Don't You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
Define Dancing – Thomas Newman
40 – U2
This Is The Day – Ivy

Listen to Jony Ive’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

D’Wayne Wiggins on Tony! Toni! Toné!, Beyoncé and beyond Jun 18, 2024

Music producer and musician D’Wayne Wiggins has mentored superstars like Beyoncé, Kehlani and Zendaya, all while touring with his own Grammy award-winning band Tony! Toni! Toné!. In this episode, D’Wayne reveals how he found his sound and helped others do the same. These are his songs.

Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly and the Family Stone
Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
Strawberry Letter 23 - The Brothers Johnson
Imagination - Earth, Wind & Fire
The Jam - Graham Central Station
Be Thankful for What You Got - William DeVaughn
What's Really Going On (Strange Fruit) - D'Wayne Wiggins

Listen to D’Wayne Wiggins’ full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

The truth hurts with SF Mayor London Breed Jun 18, 2024

Host Sophie Bearman sits down with London Breed, the 45th mayor of San Francisco, and the first Black woman to hold the position. London opens up about how her life was shaped by the challenges that plague San Francisco, how she’s been criticized for being outspoken, and why she says that makes her uniquely qualified for the job. Here's her playlist.

Get Me Bodied – Beyoncé
Candy Girl – New Edition
Push It! – Salt-N-Pepa
End of the Road – Boyz II Men
I’m Every Woman – Whitney Houston
Ex-Factor – Lauryn Hill
Truth Hurts – Lizzo

Listen to London Breed’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Introducing ‘Life in Seven Songs’ May 29, 2024

“Life in Seven Songs” is a new podcast from The San Francisco Standard. In each episode, host Sophie Bearman brings you closer to influential figures through the music that has shaped their lives. “Life in Seven Songs” premieres on June 18, with new episodes released every other Tuesday.

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