Jim Carrey picks a collection of his favourite songs
While most people know him for his outlandish form of comedy, Jim Carrey is also a big music fan. As followers of the Canadian actor will know, he is a self-professed music lover, with his taste so broad that he even claims to be a fan of British grindcore pioneers Napalm Death, with his iconic impression of the Birmingham band a staple of early internet culture.
Carrey seems to have a particular predilection for the heavier side of rock music, once revealing that he professed his love for groove metal pioneers Pantera. Recalling the first time he heard the Texan outfit, he told Fox 5: “The first time I ever heard Pantera, I was driving down to San Diego to do a concert at a theatre and to check in to a hotel. Me and my manager, Jim Miller, at the time, we put Pantera on. And I had never heard anything like it.”
Carrey continued: “It hit me on such a level of, like, extreme stimulation that I just started laughing uncontrollably for the entire track. Just like nervously laughing, like, ‘What is happening right now?’ And then we went to check in to the hotel. The guys behind us in the line checking in to the hotel were Pantera. We turned around, and we went, like, ‘Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?’ This is too weird, man.”
Luckily for fans, in 2007, when promoting his new feature film, The Number 23, Carrey listed a collection of his 23 favourite songs for Cinema Blend. Ranging from classics by Nirvana to an indie staple by Broken Social Scene as well as an early hit from Sia, in this list, Carrey resoundingly demonstrated how varied his tastes are whilst comically attempting to tie some picks to his latest movie.
One notable number Carrey chose was ‘Breed’ by Nirvana. It’s a fan favourite found on their 1991 breakout album Nevermind, the record that kicked off grunge’s ascendance as the most significant cultural movement of the decade. Of the track, Carrey said: “One of my anthems. Put it on and imagine you’re pummeling your foe’s face into blood soup.”
Another highlight Carrey picked is the 2001 hit ‘Fell in Love with a Girl’ by garage rock heroes The White Stripes. The second single from Jack and Meg White’s third studio album, White Blood Cells, is considered one of their very best. Noting the individual genius of band leader Jack White, Carrey noted: “Not too many originals out there, but Jack is one of ’em. I like him so much that I never want to meet him.”
Speaking of originals, another number Carrey listed is the 2000 single ‘Limp’ by Fiona Apple, taken from her 1999 album, When the Pawn… Of this off-kilter art-pop masterpiece, he explained: “I saw her live. It was staggering. One of the most talented people I’ve ever seen. She’s totally hooked in. Pure and uncut.”
Another notable feature of the collection was the cover of The Beatles’ ‘I Am the Walrus’. Famously, this rendition was composed and produced by the Liverpool band’s producer, George Martin, for his 1999 covers album In My Life. Elsewhere on the record, which featured the likes of Jeff Beck, Celine Dion, Billy Connolly, and Phil Collins, Robin Williams provided an excellent interpretation of ‘Come Together’. Regarding his cover of the 1967 classic, Carrey simply expressed: “Well, I am.”
Check out the complete list of Jim Carrey’s favourite songs below.
Jim Carrey’s favourite songs:
- ‘Strawberry Letter 23’ – The Brothers Johnson
- ‘Breed’ – Nirvana
- ‘My Immortal’ – Evanescence
- ‘One’ – Mary J. Blige & U2
- ‘Close to Me’ – The Cure
- ‘Time Is Running Out’ – Muse
- ‘Overtime’ – Lucinda Williams
- ‘Fell in Love with a Girl’ – The White Stripes
- ‘Run’ – Snow Patrol
- ‘Breathe Me’ – Sia
- ‘Tear You Apart’ – She Wants Revenge
- ‘Lover’s Spit’ – Broken Social Scene
- ‘A.K.A. I-D-I-O-T’ – The Hives
- ‘Do You Realize??’ – The Flaming Lips
- ‘Hallelujah’ – Jeff Buckley
- ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
- ‘Round Midnight’ – John Coltrane
- ‘Limp’ – Fiona Apple
- ‘American Idiot’ – Green Day
- ‘Nobody Home’ – Pink Floyd
- ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
- ‘Hey Man Nice Shot’ – Filter
- ‘I Am the Walrus’ – Jim Carrey
