Do you ever get a holiday song stuck in your head? Whether you love them or hate them, those tunes really are catchy! Hearing the same earworms over and over each year has inspired me to launch the Pandemic Song Parody Challenge.
The rules of the Pandemic Song Parody Challenge are simple. Take a popular song and make it about the pandemic or mitigation measures. Example topics include masks, physical distancing, remote learning, work from home, cabin fever, and so on. The possibilities are endless. However, if you post anything that’s anti-mask, anti-remote learning, or otherwise in favor of the astroturf “reopen” movement, you will be roundly condemned and ridiculed by yours truly and just about everyone else on the internet. The idea here is to have some holiday fun while we ride this thing out with our masks, distancing, and other evidence-based mitigation measures.
From mid-November to New Year’s Eve, the main emphasis of this challenge is winter holiday music. All of your favorite (or least favorite!) holiday classics can become pandemic ballads. From January onward, any pop song is fair game. All you have to do is add or modify words to turn it into a song about the pandemic or mitigation measures.
Do you have a pandemic song parody? Share your creation on social media using the hashtag #PandemicSongParody. If you like my #PandemicSongParody image, you can use that too. I’ll pick my favorites to highlight on my blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I also co-host a radio show called Your Community Spirit on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. Central on WDBX. If I see any really exciting pandemic song parodies, I’ll share them on the radio too (with your permission).
You can share your pandemic song parody in whatever form you like. At a minimum, please share the full lyrics, including your modifications. If you’re feeling bold, post audio or video of someone (you or a friend) performing the song. Viral videos featuring pandemic song parodies would be a great way to convey a serious message about the importance of mitigation measures with a healthy dose of laughter along the way!
If you’d like some inspiration, please check out my submission: I Want Masks And Distance From You. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing your pandemic song parodies!
My name is Treesong. I’m a father, author, talk radio host, and Real Life Superhero. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Ko-fi for my latest climate fiction releases and superhero adventures. Sign up for my newsletter to receive free climate fiction in your inbox. Check out my bookshop for climate change books, including reading lists for climate fiction, climate nonfiction, and climate poetry!
