For the last several weeks, for what should be obvious reasons, the song "Life During Wartime" by Talking Heads- what is widely considered an early New Wave/funk-rock classic- has been playing in my mind.
I've come up with my own new set of lyrics to it, to match our present crisis. Submitted for your consideration.
Life During Wartime
Music and lyrics by
David Byrne et al.: new lyrics by Tom Gill, 3/22/2020
Heard of a van that is loaded with facemasks,
Packed up and ready to go
Heard of some gravesites, out by the highway,
A place where nobody knows
Packed up and ready to go
Heard of some gravesites, out by the highway,
A place where nobody knows
The city’s quiet, the roads deserted,
I'm getting used to it now
Lived in a brownstone, lived in a ghetto,
I've heard they’ve all been locked down
I'm getting used to it now
Lived in a brownstone, lived in a ghetto,
I've heard they’ve all been locked down
This ain't no party, this ain't no nightclub,
This ain't no fooling around
Too close for dancing, or lovey dovey,
I’m social distancing now
This ain't no fooling around
Too close for dancing, or lovey dovey,
I’m social distancing now
They got some test kits, they swabbed my
nostrils
Hope for an answer some day
I got exposed at a couple of places,
You better just stay away.
Hope for an answer some day
I got exposed at a couple of places,
You better just stay away.
Down at the Costco, the trucks are loading,
the Charmin big mega roll
I sleep at my jobsite, I work remotely,
I might not ever leave home
the Charmin big mega roll
I sleep at my jobsite, I work remotely,
I might not ever leave home
This ain't no party, sure ain’t no spring
break,
This ain't no fooling around
There ain’t no South By, or no March Madness,
Ain’t got no time for that now
This ain't no fooling around
There ain’t no South By, or no March Madness,
Ain’t got no time for that now
Heard about Wuhan? Heard of that cruise ship?
How many cases today?
You oughta know not to open the window
Somebody sneeze on you there
How many cases today?
You oughta know not to open the window
Somebody sneeze on you there
I got some groceries, some sanitizer,
To last til April or May
But I ain't got no Netflix, ain’t got no Kindle,
Ain't got no X-box to play
To last til April or May
But I ain't got no Netflix, ain’t got no Kindle,
Ain't got no X-box to play
Why stay in college? Why go to night school?
Gonna be all taught online
Can't tweet on Twitter, can't send no email,
I ain't got time for that now
Gonna be all taught online
Can't tweet on Twitter, can't send no email,
I ain't got time for that now
State parks are roadblocked, trouble at
trailheads,
Trying to keep away crowds
We’re jogging fire roads, we're jumping fencelines,
I know that that ain't allowed
Trying to keep away crowds
We’re jogging fire roads, we're jumping fencelines,
I know that that ain't allowed
We dress in PJs, we dress like hazmats,
Forego the suit and the tie
I’ve missed my haircuts, so many times now,
I don't know what I look like!
Forego the suit and the tie
I’ve missed my haircuts, so many times now,
I don't know what I look like!
You make me shiver, I feel some fever,
I’d better self-quarantine
Don't get exhausted, is that you coughing?
You might have Covid-19
I’d better self-quarantine
Don't get exhausted, is that you coughing?
You might have Covid-19
Bricked all my notebooks,
what good’s my Chromebook?
They won't help me survive
My chest is tightening, getting pneumonia,
it tells me I’m still alive
They won't help me survive
My chest is tightening, getting pneumonia,
it tells me I’m still alive
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