Coronavirus: “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and other songs of COVID-19

DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME – THE POLICE: Released in 1980, from the album “Kenyatta Mondatta” The song is roughly based on a teacher who likes one of his students. Sting (real name Gordon Summer) was a teacher before he became the lead singer for The Police in 1977. Don’t Stand So Close to me won a Grammy Award in 1981 for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a group.

I’LL STAND BY YOU – THE PRETENDERS Released isn 1994, from the album “Last of the Independents” Chrissie Hynde, who wrote this ballad with collaborators Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, admitted that it was ‘cold-blooded attempt to get a song on the radio,’ and charts. And it did, although it was not a typical Pretenders rocker.

FROM A DISTANCE – BETTE MIDLER: Released in 1990 from the album “Some People’s Lives” A song about the difference between the way things seem and the way things are. Midler released this during the Gulf War and it became the most requested song on Saudi Band Radio. It won a Minuteman (social colonists) Award.

CAREFUL WHERE YOU STAND – COLDPLAY Released in 2000 from the album “Shiver”. Singer-songwriter Chris Martin’s paean for a love that is not his and the pain that it causes him is just too much to handle. One of the many gems on the British band’s third album.

I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND – THE BEATLES: Released in 1963 from the album “Meet The Beatles” The icon band’s first No. 1 hit single in America was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in Paul’s high-profile girlfriend, Jane Asher’s home. One of Lennon’s favourite songs it is full of beautiful metaphors like the closing line, ‘I think you’ll understand.’

CLOSE TO YOU – THE CARPENTERS: Released in 1970 from the album “Close to You” Written by the multiple award winning song-writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, The Carpenters were not the first artists to record the song, but Richard and Karen Carpenter made this stunning easy-listening version their signature piece.

THE END OF THE WORLD – SKEETER DAVIS: Released in 1962 from the album “The End of the World” Country artist Skeet Davis’ biggest hit is a song of sincere sadness having lost someone she loved. The song’s title, The End of the World is only a metaphor to define her pain which she does a very good job expressing. Its lyrics are beautiful and poignant like the lines, ‘Don’t they know it’s the end of the world, it ended when you said goodbye.’

SO FAR AWAY – DIRE STRAITS: Released in 1965 from the album “Brothers in Arms” Explaining the meaning of the song, front man Mark Knopfler told BBC, "It was about conducting a relationship over a telephone, which is a joke. It can't really be done over a long period of time, because you both get exhausted with it. That was the basic idea. Families are split up in different parts, all over the place, and it has relevance.

ALL THINGS MUST PASS – GEORGE HARRISON: Released in 1970 from the triple album “All Things Must Pass” Harrison was inspired to write this song as he dealt with the breakup of The Beatles in April 1970, it was about moving on into a new life, sans John, Paul and Ringo. It is also believed that these were words of comfort for his father, Harold Hargreaves following the death of his mother, Louise.

ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT – ELVIS PRESLEY: Released in 1960 from the album “Top Ten Hits” Presley hated this song but was compelled to record it in a bid to send out a message to fellow artists that he could sing ballads. As if to mock at the song he would sometimes change the lines during live concerts from ‘Do you gaze at your doorstep, And picture me there? to ‘Do you gaze at your bald head/ And wish you had hair?’. Like it or not it gave him another monster No 1 hit.