{"id":2116221,"date":"2026-08-28T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T04:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2116221"},"modified":"2026-08-28T07:00:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T04:00:04","slug":"soundtrack-of-my-life-damian-lewis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2116221","title":{"rendered":"Soundtrack Of My Life: Damian Lewis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Damien-Lewis.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Features<\/span><span>Music Interviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Soundtrack Of My Life: Damian Lewis<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Much-loved British actor and rock \u2018n\u2019 roll revivalist<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Gary Ryan<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-28T08:00:04+01:00\">28th August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Damien-Lewis-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Damian Lewis\" title=\"Damian Lewis\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Damian Lewis. CREDIT: Steve Gullick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h2>The first song I remember hearing<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Elvis Presley \u2013 \u2018Mystery Train\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy first love was Elvis, no question. In our house, we had a French-release compilation album of his songs called \u2018Le Roi Du Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll\u2019. As a small kid, I was obsessed with \u2018Mystery Train\u2019. The way Elvis held his guitar like a gun and the percussive way he attacked the strings made me fall in love with the guitar. Many years later, I went busking around Europe on my motorbike with a tent and played my guitar in the streets. But it was all because of Elvis and those early Sun [Records] recordings \u2013 and \u2018Mystery Train\u2019 in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elvis Presley - Mystery Train (Official Audio)\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/njw2oB8oRTs?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The first album I bought<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Blondie \u2013 \u2018Autoamerican\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was an Our Price on Finchley Road, North London that I\u2019d go to with my older brother and sister. That\u2019s where I bought \u2018Autoamerican\u2019 in 1981.\u00a0 Blondie \u2013 what can you say? Apart from the fact that as a young boy, it was impossible not to be in love with Debbie Harry. I love the variety on this particular record \u2013 it goes through different genres. Years later, I saw Blondie play [in 2013] at a private function in New York with Kanye West. Debbie Harry was still magnetic.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blondie - Rapture (Official Music Video)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pHCdS7O248g?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The first gig I went to<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Queen, Wembley Stadium, 1986<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cQueen were supported by INXS. It was before they released \u2018Kick\u2019 [in 1987]. I only went because it turned out my friend Kieran\u2019s dad was a big-shot in the music industry and he got four tickets. I was around 17, it was a year after they played Live Aid and Queen were phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Queen - Another One Bites the Dust (Live At Wembley) (July 12, 1986)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VduCfWe_Epk?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>\u00a0The song that reminds me of home<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Beatles \u2013 \u2018Eleanor Rigby\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll through our early teenage years, my younger brother and I were always at the top of the house listening to The Beatles. \u2018Eleanor Rigby\u2019 reminds me of the \u201880s and the views out of our house in London: looking at the grey, rain-drizzled skies. I always felt its melancholy, looking out of the window back then as a teenager. Not that I was unhappy, but I definitely responded to that in music.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><em>Ever meet Macca?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI <em>have<\/em> met Paul McCartney and he was a complete gentleman. At a political party, we were watching the American election on TV and he came up to me and said [Lewis does a pitch-perfect Macca impersonation]: \u2018Oh, you understand a bit or two about the TV, don\u2019t you?\u2019. And I just realised he\u2019d seen me on TV and I melted. I went to bed grinning. That McCartney knows who I am is incredible. I was completely tongue-tied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; width=&#8221;696&#8243; height=&#8221;392&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HuS5NuXRb5Y?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&#8243; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowfullscreen=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>The song I wish I\u2019d written<\/h2>\n<p><strong>David Bowie \u2013 \u2018Heroes\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know 173 other people will probably also have picked \u2018Heroes\u2019 for this, but from the opening note, it\u2019s just relentlessly brilliant. It\u2019s the most evocative, triumphant, euphoric song \u2013 and unbelievably cool. The second album I ever owned was Bowie\u2019s \u2018Hunky Dory\u2019 \u2013 and he\u2019s remained a touchstone for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; width=&#8221;696&#8243; height=&#8221;392&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lXgkuM2NhYI?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&#8243; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowfullscreen=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>The song I can\u2019t get out of my head<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Rolling Stones \u2013 \u2018Little T&amp;A\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI listen to the Stones a lot and I can never get \u2018Little T&amp;A \u2018 out of my head. Keith Richards is quoted as calling the song \u2018dumb\u2019 and that it\u2019s just about rock \u2018n\u2019 roll energy. It\u2019s a celebration of carnality, I\u2019m aware of that, but that\u2019s the one that stays in my head!\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Little T&amp;A (Remastered)\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lBFG7sERnmg?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song I can no longer listen to<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers \u2013 \u2018Swing the Mood\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t fucking hear Jive Bunny again! But I don\u2019t mean that in a pejorative way. When I was in my twenties, I would go out on my own dancing to old-school rock \u2018n\u2019 roll at rockabilly nights. Then Jive Bunny came out and cut up my favourite songs into 20-second snippets and put them into this endless [novelty] medley. And then it was never off the radio, so I\u2019d have to put it into the Room 101 of music.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jive Bunny &amp; The Mastermixers | Swing The Mood  | Original Video\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hTA6I6hn-z4?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song that makes me want to dance<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Crazy P \u2013 \u2018There\u2019s a Better Place\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an ambient rave tune with a fantastic <em>Willy Wonka &amp; The Chocolate Factory<\/em> sample. I\u2019m just that age. I left school right into the dance culture of the \u201890s and that will still always get me up on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"There's A Better Place\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YYkim4Uog1k?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song that makes me cry<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Weepies \u2013 \u2018Gotta Have You\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt reminds me of moving to LA as a family with my late wife Helen [McCrory]. My daughter was one year old and my son was about to be born. We were living in Venice Canals \u2013 and I was filming out there. We had a babysitter who was a 23-year-old roller-skating, already-Botoxed sunny Californian girl. We asked her, are you listening to any good music? She gave us two great bands. One is The Shins but the other was a lesser-known band called The Weepies. That song will always get me going.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Weepies - Gotta Have You (Audio)\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s830CSutPoE?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song I do at karaoke<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Elton John \u2013 \u2018Saturday Night\u2019s Alright for Fighting\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t say I do karaoke but I will proudly divulge that I was at karaoke in Fulham Broadway once. I went in there with a friend and I got up and sang \u2018Saturday Night\u2019s Alright for Fighting\u2019 and I won a bottle of champagne for best karaoke of the evening! Very chuffed I was too. If I was back looking for another bottle of champers, I\u2019d pick it again.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elton John - Saturday Night\u2019s Alright (For Fighting) (Central Park, NYC 1980)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NagnbRHdh-0?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song I want played at my funeral<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Talk Talk \u2013 \u2018It\u2019s My Life\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was an \u201880s kid and I liked electronic music. I\u2019ve always loved \u2018It\u2019s My Life\u2019 and Andy Hollis\u2019 vocals, as well as its slightly bombastic nature. Life\u2019s what you make of it \u2013 seems like a good sentiment to have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Damian Lewis\u2019 UK tour begins on October 2. His album \u2018Sweet Chaos\u2019 is out now via Thin Red Duke<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Blondie<\/li>\n<li>David Bowie<\/li>\n<li>Elton John<\/li>\n<li>Elvis Presley<\/li>\n<li>Paul McCartney<\/li>\n<li>Queen<\/li>\n<li>Soundtrack Of My Life<\/li>\n<li>The Beatles<\/li>\n<li>The Rolling Stones<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_93 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_93\">\n<div class=\"td-block-title-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"td-block-title\"><span class=\"td-pulldown-size\">TRENDING<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Dolly Parton, 1946-2026: the Queen of Country was a unifying force in a divided world<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Soundtrack Of My Life: Damian Lewis<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Mike D \u2013 \u2018Thank You\u2019 review: Beastie Boys icon\u2019s solo debut is a return to be grateful for<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Electronic wizard Hakushi Hasegawa\u2019s next experiment? 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In our house, we had a French-release compilation album of his songs called \u2018Le Roi Du Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll\u2019. As a small kid, I was obsessed with \u2018Mystery Train\u2019. The way Elvis held his guitar like a gun and the percussive way he attacked the strings made me fall in love with the guitar. Many years later, I went busking around Europe on my motorbike with a tent and played my guitar in the streets. But it was all because of Elvis and those early Sun [Records] recordings \u2013 and \u2018Mystery Train\u2019 in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elvis Presley - Mystery Train (Official Audio)\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/njw2oB8oRTs?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The first album I bought<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Blondie \u2013 \u2018Autoamerican\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was an Our Price on Finchley Road, North London that I\u2019d go to with my older brother and sister. That\u2019s where I bought \u2018Autoamerican\u2019 in 1981.\u00a0 Blondie \u2013 what can you say? Apart from the fact that as a young boy, it was impossible not to be in love with Debbie Harry. I love the variety on this particular record \u2013 it goes through different genres. Years later, I saw Blondie play [in 2013] at a private function in New York with Kanye West. Debbie Harry was still magnetic.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blondie - Rapture (Official Music Video)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pHCdS7O248g?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The first gig I went to<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Queen, Wembley Stadium, 1986<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cQueen were supported by INXS. It was before they released \u2018Kick\u2019 [in 1987]. I only went because it turned out my friend Kieran\u2019s dad was a big-shot in the music industry and he got four tickets. I was around 17, it was a year after they played Live Aid and Queen were phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Queen - Another One Bites the Dust (Live At Wembley) (July 12, 1986)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VduCfWe_Epk?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>\u00a0The song that reminds me of home<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Beatles \u2013 \u2018Eleanor Rigby\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll through our early teenage years, my younger brother and I were always at the top of the house listening to The Beatles. \u2018Eleanor Rigby\u2019 reminds me of the \u201880s and the views out of our house in London: looking at the grey, rain-drizzled skies. I always felt its melancholy, looking out of the window back then as a teenager. Not that I was unhappy, but I definitely responded to that in music.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><em>Ever meet Macca?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI <em>have<\/em> met Paul McCartney and he was a complete gentleman. At a political party, we were watching the American election on TV and he came up to me and said [Lewis does a pitch-perfect Macca impersonation]: \u2018Oh, you understand a bit or two about the TV, don\u2019t you?\u2019. And I just realised he\u2019d seen me on TV and I melted. I went to bed grinning. That McCartney knows who I am is incredible. I was completely tongue-tied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; width=&#8221;696&#8243; height=&#8221;392&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HuS5NuXRb5Y?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&#8243; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowfullscreen=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>The song I wish I\u2019d written<\/h2>\n<p><strong>David Bowie \u2013 \u2018Heroes\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know 173 other people will probably also have picked \u2018Heroes\u2019 for this, but from the opening note, it\u2019s just relentlessly brilliant. It\u2019s the most evocative, triumphant, euphoric song \u2013 and unbelievably cool. The second album I ever owned was Bowie\u2019s \u2018Hunky Dory\u2019 \u2013 and he\u2019s remained a touchstone for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; width=&#8221;696&#8243; height=&#8221;392&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lXgkuM2NhYI?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&#8243; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowfullscreen=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>The song I can\u2019t get out of my head<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Rolling Stones \u2013 \u2018Little T&amp;A\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI listen to the Stones a lot and I can never get \u2018Little T&amp;A \u2018 out of my head. Keith Richards is quoted as calling the song \u2018dumb\u2019 and that it\u2019s just about rock \u2018n\u2019 roll energy. It\u2019s a celebration of carnality, I\u2019m aware of that, but that\u2019s the one that stays in my head!\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Little T&amp;A (Remastered)\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lBFG7sERnmg?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song I can no longer listen to<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers \u2013 \u2018Swing the Mood\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t fucking hear Jive Bunny again! But I don\u2019t mean that in a pejorative way. When I was in my twenties, I would go out on my own dancing to old-school rock \u2018n\u2019 roll at rockabilly nights. Then Jive Bunny came out and cut up my favourite songs into 20-second snippets and put them into this endless [novelty] medley. And then it was never off the radio, so I\u2019d have to put it into the Room 101 of music.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jive Bunny &amp; The Mastermixers | Swing The Mood  | Original Video\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hTA6I6hn-z4?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song that makes me want to dance<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Crazy P \u2013 \u2018There\u2019s a Better Place\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an ambient rave tune with a fantastic <em>Willy Wonka &amp; The Chocolate Factory<\/em> sample. I\u2019m just that age. I left school right into the dance culture of the \u201890s and that will still always get me up on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"There's A Better Place\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YYkim4Uog1k?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song that makes me cry<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Weepies \u2013 \u2018Gotta Have You\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt reminds me of moving to LA as a family with my late wife Helen [McCrory]. My daughter was one year old and my son was about to be born. We were living in Venice Canals \u2013 and I was filming out there. We had a babysitter who was a 23-year-old roller-skating, already-Botoxed sunny Californian girl. We asked her, are you listening to any good music? She gave us two great bands. One is The Shins but the other was a lesser-known band called The Weepies. That song will always get me going.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Weepies - Gotta Have You (Audio)\" width=\"696\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s830CSutPoE?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song I do at karaoke<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Elton John \u2013 \u2018Saturday Night\u2019s Alright for Fighting\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t say I do karaoke but I will proudly divulge that I was at karaoke in Fulham Broadway once. I went in there with a friend and I got up and sang \u2018Saturday Night\u2019s Alright for Fighting\u2019 and I won a bottle of champagne for best karaoke of the evening! Very chuffed I was too. If I was back looking for another bottle of champers, I\u2019d pick it again.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elton John - Saturday Night\u2019s Alright (For Fighting) (Central Park, NYC 1980)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NagnbRHdh-0?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<h2>The song I want played at my funeral<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Talk Talk \u2013 \u2018It\u2019s My Life\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was an \u201880s kid and I liked electronic music. I\u2019ve always loved \u2018It\u2019s My Life\u2019 and Andy Hollis\u2019 vocals, as well as its slightly bombastic nature. Life\u2019s what you make of it \u2013 seems like a good sentiment to have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Damian Lewis\u2019 UK tour begins on October 2. His album \u2018Sweet Chaos\u2019 is out now via Thin Red Duke<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/music-interviews\/soundtrack-of-my-life-damian-lewis-3965103&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Damien-Lewis.jpg&#8221;] FeaturesMusic Interviews Soundtrack Of My Life: Damian Lewis Much-loved British actor and rock \u2018n\u2019 roll revivalist By Gary Ryan 28th August 2026 Damian Lewis. CREDIT: Steve Gullick The first song I remember hearing Elvis Presley \u2013 \u2018Mystery Train\u2019 \u201cMy first love was Elvis, no question. In our house, we had a French-release [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2116221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2116221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2116221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2116221\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2116221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2116221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2116221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}