THE STORY BEHIND A ‘SUPER BAD VIRUS’ SONG

COVID-19 is, put simply, a “super bad virus.”

This silly, if accurate, phrase rolled around Daniel Matarazzo’s head as he began writing a coronavirus-themed parody of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, the earwormy tune from Mary Poppins.

The Philadelphia-based freelance music director had all his work through April cancelled.

So he completed the phrase: A super bad transmittable contagious awful virus. Then he tossed in some good advice.

“Now back in 1918, influenza had its run

“But half their docs were busy overseas with World War I

“Today we have mass media and scientists to say

“If you don’t want this virus, well then stay six feet away!

“It’s super damn important that we practice isolation

“’Cause we’re asymptomatic while it’s in incubation

“We’ll overwhelm our hospitals if there’s not mitigation

“It’s super damn important that we practice isolation

“If you don’t do it then we’re all gonna die, if you don’t do it then we’re all gonna die ...”

Although his aim was only to cheer up his friends and family, the song grew legs on social media. Comments began pouring in from around the world, including a particularly affecting one from a respiratory nurse.

“She said she played the song before she and her team started on a very long shift. They were just dancing around the room to it and laughing,” Matarazzo said. “I was really touched.”

“Being able to laugh at the things that would otherwise make us cry,” said Nathan Rabin, a music critic and author of two books, “can make this unprecedented crisis a little more endurable.”