A singer-songwriter from Texas has written what might be the first love ballad about coronavirus.
David Sikabwe, 22, is getting ready to self-quarantine as COVID-19 spreads across the US — and in his new song, the UT Austin student put a romantic spin on the predicament.
Since he shared the lovey-dovey tune online, ‘Quarantine with Me’ has been listened to over 170,000 times, with social media users both swooning and giggling at his clever lyrics.
Lil’ ditty ’bout disease: UT Austin student David Sikabwe, 22, shared a song called ‘Quarantine with Me’ on social media
It begins: ‘You can put your hand in mine, once you’ve washed it for the recommended 20 seconds’ time’
David uploaded the song to YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram on March 15. In the clip, he sits under a blue blanket with a guitar, playing along as he sings the original song.
‘You can put your hand in mine,’ he begins. ‘Once you’ve washed it for the recommended 20 seconds’ time.’
He also gets in a bit of innuendo, suggesting that he and the person he is singing to get in bed alone, and he’ll ‘go beneath the covers and pretend like I am the Dow Jones
‘We can shut the world outside,’ he croons. ‘It’s crazy times, let’s stay and hide.’
The song also covers social distancing, stocking up the fridge, and disinfecting, with the line: ‘The smell of Lysol sets the mood.’
Isolation melody: The song also covers social distancing, stocking up the fridge, disinfecting, and the troubled stock market
Other sweet lines include ‘let’s lock the door and toss the key’ and ‘three’s a risk but two is company.’
David told Mashable that the song was just a ‘random idea’.
‘There are a lot of songs written about staying at home with someone you care about like “Nothing” by Bruno Major and “Do You Wanna Do Nothing with Me” by Lawrence. I figured that sentiment had a special significance with the looming specter of this disease,’ he said.
‘I’m quite proud of the “Dow Jones” line,’ he added. ‘I try to be pretty family friendly online and it’s pretty raunchy, but I couldn’t resist.’
Social media users particularly loved that line too, calling it out in Twitter comments. Others have complimented the song as ‘catchy,’ ‘creative,’ ‘funny,’ and ‘brilliant.’
Meanwhile, Spotify users have shared their very appropriate qurantine playlists on Twitter.
Some songs have proven incredibly popular, turning up on dozens of playlists thanks to their extremely relevant titles.
Favorites include ‘Sicko Mode’ by Travis Scott, ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears, and ‘U Can’t Touch This’ by MC Hammer.
Most of the playlists were designed to be funny and tongue-in-cheek, with song titles about illness, death, the world ending, and abstaining from physical contact — all topics that feel particularly relevant at the moments.
One of the most viral playlists so far is called ‘Coronavirus [COVID-19] Quarantine Party’ by Chadwick Johnson from Los Angeles.
It includes 37 carefully-chosen songs — and it has caught the attention of thousands of Twitter users, with tens of thousands of likes so far.
Must-listen: Meanwhile, Spotify users have shared their very appropriate quarantine playlists on Twitter
Genius: One popular playlist has thousands of likesand includes 37 carefully-chosen songs like ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears, ‘Sicko Mode’ by Travis Scott, and ‘Unwell’ by Matchbox 20
The playlist starts off with ‘Toxicity’ by System of a Down, ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears, ‘Sicko Mode’ by Travis Scott, and ‘Unwell’ by Matchbox 20.
It also includes ‘So Sick’ by Ne-Yo, ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It’ by R.E.M., ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ by The Police, ‘Fever’ by Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees, ‘Made in China’ by Higher Brothers and DJ Snake, ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ by The Weeknd, and ‘Harder to Breathe’ by Maroon 5.
It finishes off with ‘We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow’ by Soko, ‘U Can’t Touch This’ by MC Hammer, ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ by Solange and Sampha, ‘Rather Die Young’ by Beyonce, ‘Emergency Room’ by Stephycube, ‘No Air’ by Jordin Sparks, ‘Hand in My Pocket’ by Alanis Morissette, and ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’ by Carrie Underwood, among others.
Other playlists are packed with more picks that play on the theme.
In the mood: Another ‘Quarantine Party’ playlist by Alistair Ryan has also earned some attention
Appropriate: It includes ‘Mask Off’ by Future, ‘You Sound Like You’re Sick’ by The Ramones, and ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ by The Weeknd
Themed: Most of the playlists were designed to be funny and tongue-in-cheek, with song titles about illness, death, the world ending, and abstaining from physical contact
Songs that have popped up include ‘Sick Boy’ by The Chainsmokers, ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries, ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ by Blue Oyster Cult, ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ by Guns N’ Roses, ‘Don’t Touch Me’ by Busta Rhymes, ‘Alone’ by Heart, and ‘So Much Trouble In The World’ by Bob Marley & The Wailers.
‘Mask Off’ by Future, ‘If I Ever Feel Better’ by Phoenix, ‘Take My Breath Away’ by Berlin, and even a song called ‘Welcome to the Hospital’ by the cast of Doc McStuffins have made it to playlists.
One man named Sage Boggs took a different tactic with his ‘pandemic playlist,’ spelling out a message with song titles.
His playlist includes tunes by Post Malone, Bon Iver, Mac Miller, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Kelly Clarkson, Frank Ocean, and Billy Eilish.
Listed in order, the titles create a message that reads: ‘Stay inside. Wash hands often, even if you don’t feel sicko mode. Because other people at risk because of you. Anyways, stay safe, Forrest Gump, I love you.’
See more COVID-19, coronvirus, and quarantine-themed playlists on Spotify.
Clever! Sage Boggs took a different tactic with his ‘pandemic playlist,’ spelling out a message with song titles