Songwriters don’t often wax poetic about pandemics and epidemics, but surely there must be a few.
The first that comes to mind is Waitress by Live:
We all get the flu
We all get AIDS
We’ve got to stick together, after all
Everybody’s good enough for some change
Some fucking change!
What else?
Better Days - Chris Mars
Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
And, of course, Adelaide’s Lament
Originally done by Huey “Piano” Smith… as was thisother illness-related number.
Great. A thread with a bunch of YouTube links and no context.
Sure, I’ll click the link and listen for four minutes to find out what you mean.
Not a flu song per se but The opening of The Stand-Don’t Fear the Reaper
Different songs about sneezing.
La Grippe - Squirrel Nut Zippers
La Grippe - Guys & Dolls
Tout le monde à la grippe - la Bolduc
I may be showing my age here, but the Johnny Rivers version of “Rockin’ Pneumonia…” was a big hit in 1972 (reaching #6 on the US charts and #3 on Canada’s), and it was my impression that every American community theater troupe and high school drama department presents Guys and Dolls (featuring “Adelaide’s Lament”) at some point. These are not obscure songs.
*Almost flu
Almost stopped the things I used to do
Shelves are bare and now I’m 'fraid to poo
One small sneeze with a virus got me
I’m infected too
Now my lungs are raw from coughing…
Almost MERS… almost SARS… almost flu…*
(h/t Elvis Costello)
There is, of course, The Cough Song by Bob Dylan. So named because Dylan coughs during the take. (The Times They Are A-Changin’ outtake. Sorry, can’t find a free video link).
j
I thought the thread title was the context: we’re posting “flu songs,” no further explanation necessary.
FWIW, I saw this thread before I saw the pandemic playlist one, which isn’t exactly the same but probably has quite a bit of overlap.
I’ll just note that “COVID-19” kinda rhymes with “Come on Eileen” and is just begging for a good parody treatment.
“Poor old Tommy Hanks, in Australia he got sick and now he has to wear this silly mask…”
“COVID-19, yeah, cough on Eileen, from this moment, we are social distancing…”
By the way, it just occurred to me this week that “Rocking Pneumonia” sounds like walking pneumonia.
Rory Gallagher - Too Much Alcohol
Whiskey make me drowsy,
And gin can make you think,
Well, a common cold can kill ya,
But, my baby tell me to drink,
Ah, alcohol, the one and only solution to every problem…
“There was a virus goin’ round; Papa caught it and he died last spring.
And now Mama doesn’t seem to want to do much of anything…”
In spite of popular demand, here are the complete lyrics to the I-Feel-Like-I’m Fixin’-To-Die-Of-Coronavirus Rag, the new smash hit by Jackmannii and his New Viral Minstrels:
*Look out, all you Americans
Coronavirus is back again
We’ve got ourselves in a terrible jam
'cause contagion spread from old Wuhan
So put on your masks, don’t shake hands
A pandemic’s stalking the land
And it’s one, two, three
What’re we coughing for?
Don’t ask me, I feel real blue
Next stop’s the I.C.U.
And it’s five, six, seven
Open up the pearly gates
Alex Jones would never lie
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die
Well, come on politicians, let’s move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Point your fingers, spread fear and dread
'Cause the only good virion’s the one that’s dead
And you know that health can only be won
When we’ve blown 'em all to kingdom come
And it’s one, two, three
What are we coughing for?
Don’t ask me, I feel real blue
Next stop’s the I.C.U.
And it’s five, six, seven
Open up the pearly gates
Natural News would never lie
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die
Come on scam artists don’t be slow
Why man, this is alt med à-go-go
There’s plenty good money to be made
By supplying the public with the tools of your trade
But just hope and pray that that the F.D.A.
Won’t send a warning letter your way
And it’s one, two, three
What are we coughing for?
Don’t tell me I feel real blue
Next stop’s the I.C.U.
And it’s five, six, seven
Open up the pearly gates
Joe Mercola would never lie
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die
Come on panic shoppers throughout the land
Stuff toilet paper into your van
Buy bottled water, don’t hesitate
Fill your shelves before it’s too late
And you can be the first ones on your block
To sell off all of your stocks
And it’s one, two, three
What are we coughing for?
Don’t ask me, I feel real blue
Next stop’s the I.C.U.
And it’s five, six, seven
Open up the pearly gates
The Administration would never lie
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die*
I suspect the Underground Garage satellite channel is sneaking in COVID-appropriate songs, like the Jim Carroll Band’s catchy number, “People Who Died”.