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.

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