COVID-19 songs
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I've recently seen several 1980s songs about troubled romantic relationships re-purposed to refer to the COVID-19 disaster. The most viral is Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive":
It only takes 20 seconds to “SURVIVE”! 👏💕🎶 #iWillSurviveChallenge #fyp #coronavirus #handwashing #washhands https://t.co/wRmBfCUJV4
— Gloria Gaynor (@gloriagaynor) March 10, 2020
See also Michael Bruning's remote-teaching version:
There's also R.E.M.'s "The end of the world as we know it":
…and even Def Leppard's "Armageddon it":
A bit of internet research turned up a 3/17/2020 Billboard article by Xander Zellner, "'It's the End of the World as We Know It,' 'I Will Survive' & More Songs Surge in the Time of Coronavirus", which lists a dozen "virus-related songs that have gained in sales and streaming over the past week".
But items from other eras and cultures are missing — how about some relevant arias from operas or cantatas, some folk songs, some jazz or blues numbers, a fado or three?
Update — Musical theater, from Carousel, 1956:
Timothy Rowe said,
March 19, 2020 @ 2:36 am
There's a website, https://washyourlyrics.com/, that lets you generate a poster of handwashing instructions with lyrics of your choice to sing along. I've used Peggy Lee's "Fever".
mg said,
March 19, 2020 @ 4:30 am
From the 1970s, there's New York Mining Disaster 1941
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9Q5_ttJBUI
BTW, my favorite poster of handwashing instructions is the one with the Macbeth soliloquy.
KevinM said,
March 19, 2020 @ 6:00 am
I think we need more research on the antimicrobial properties of "I Will Survive" before we abandon "Happy Birthday." Also, no copyright issues! https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/happy-birthday-is-public-domain-former-owner-warnerchapell-to-pay-14m/
I don't know many under-oneminute songs. One, however, is by the late, lamented Steve Goodman. The lyrics, in their entirety:
My baby came to me this mornin'
And she said I'm kinda confused
She said "If me and B.B. King was both drownin'
Which one would you choose?"
I said "Whoa Baby"
I said "Whoa Baby"
I said "Whoa Baby – Babe, I ain't never heard you play no blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EI4S4mLew
Stay healthy, everyone, and keep your spirits up.
Buzz79 said,
March 19, 2020 @ 6:32 am
99.5 by Suzanne Vega. Sample lyrics:
Pale as a candle
And your face is hot
And if I touch you
I might get what you've got
You seem to me
Like a man
On the verge of running
99.9 Fahrenheit degrees
[(myl)
]
S. Norman said,
March 19, 2020 @ 6:53 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNqsORtnRwY
by Robb Jarmain, 1969
The title might have influenced Trump
Joshua K. said,
March 19, 2020 @ 11:14 am
"Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire keeps going through my mind.
[(myl)
]
The lyrics to "Can't Feel My Face" by the Weeknd don't really relate, but the title does.
Peter Taylor said,
March 19, 2020 @ 11:42 am
The refrain of the toreador's song from Carmen in the English translation we sang at school might work. "Mind well when in danger thou shalt be…"
[(myl) Is this what you mean?
Lyrics and translation here. ]
MEJ said,
March 19, 2020 @ 1:04 pm
Don't get around much anymore
[(myl)
]
AntC said,
March 19, 2020 @ 3:39 pm
The Vietnamese Public Health anti-COVID-19 song 'Ghen Co Vy' (sorry I can't do the diacritics) is a repurposed hit from 2017. 'Ghen' means Jealous.
The song is maddeningly catchy (and John Oliver says so), even without the accompanying hand-washing dance moves from TikTok; much more catchy than the original.
[(myl) There's only one diacritic: Ghen Cô Vy.
]
ASG said,
March 19, 2020 @ 6:54 pm
How about this Yiddish news ballad?
https://forward.com/yiddish/441967/a-yiddish-song-of-hope-during-the-coronavirus/
[(myl)
The automatically-generated English subtitles are interestingly bad… ]
Jason said,
March 19, 2020 @ 11:04 pm
@Buzz79
Suzanne Vega's "Blood makes noise" seems much more appropriate to this situation.
[(myl)
Lyrics here.
]
Richard Campbell said,
March 20, 2020 @ 5:28 am
Warren Zevon's "Splendid Isolation" seems particularly appropriate these days.
https://youtu.be/awhGI0_o90s
Michael Carasik said,
March 20, 2020 @ 7:00 am
Tom Lehrer, "I Got It from Agnes"
KevinM said,
March 20, 2020 @ 12:38 pm
My Corona, by the Knack?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR2JtsVumFA
Mark Liberman said,
March 21, 2020 @ 10:46 am
"Ventilator Blues", by the Rolling Stones (lyrics):
David J Fried said,
March 23, 2020 @ 8:18 pm
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Cole Porter's "Why Don't We Try Staying Home?" Bobby Short's version on You Tube is the best.
The final lyric:
Wouldn't it be nice?
We've tried everything else twice:
Why don't we try staying home?