The first song I fell in love with
Baggy Trousers by Madness. I remember thinking it was the most brilliant thing I’d ever heard, partly because there was a man in huge trousers suspended from the ceiling playing a saxophone on Top of the Pops. That probably helped. It was hilarious!
The first single I bought
The Smurfs? I think I just asked for it rather than went out and bought it myself because I was three. Apparently I was mesmerised by both Kate Bush and the Smurfs, so I had great taste in music. The first single I bought with my own pocket money was probably I Should Be So Lucky, because I hadn’t become acquainted with the Fall yet.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
It’s weird when lyrics you don’t particularly like find their way into your memory. I know more music hall songs than I should for my age, because we were forced to sing them in drama school. I also remember the lyrics to the Hold a Chicken in the Air song from Spitting Image. I was 11 at the time.
The best song to play at a party
Ghost Town by the Specials. It’s probably the best song ever made. It’s not really the best thing to play at a party, but sometimes it’s nice to have a sit down and contemplate things.
The song I can no longer listen to
The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams. This was the opening music they’d play every night when I was on tour with the play What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton. I was understudying and assistant stage managing at the time, and the stage manager was a total arsehole. He made my life a misery. Every time I hear this music I feel as if I’m standing in the wings again and I feel physically sick.
The song that changed my life
Probably The Container Drivers by the Fall. I was always more into comedy than music. I found bands that took themselves really seriously embarrassing. When I discovered the Fall it was a complete revelation. The lyrics were just so funny and mundane.
The song that gets me up in the morning
Java by Bert Kaempfert. I love Bert Kaempfert. I got into him during lockdown. He gave the Beatles their big break. He was a good egg.
The song that makes me cry
Across the Universe. Reminds me of my dad. He played the Beatles a lot but this one in particular makes me miss him. Also, This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush. Heart-rending. Guaranteed to get me crying in seconds.
The song I want played at my funeral
If I Can Dream by Elvis Presley. A moving, uplifting song for when the congregation is sobbing and hurling themselves on my coffin with grief.
Diane Morgan takes part in series two of Last One Laughing on Prime Video from 19 March.