Move over originals, these Corona parodies will entertain you in lockdown

Coronavirus concerns are giving rise to musical parodies. From cute dog video to downright funny police-modified songs aimed to keep people indoors, here are some of the creativity-fuelled lyrical gems that have gone viral.

‘Corona, Corona, Coronaaaaa’. Imagine Abhijeet Bhattacharya crooning this song as we wait for the lockdown to end. Well, he did not, but someone sure did and got famous for it, too. From puppies singing online to living room concerts by celebrities, music is coming to the aid of all who are stuck in isolation because of the Covid-19 pandemic. And some have taken it a notch up to lend a corona twist to a classic song! With changes in the lyrics, ranging from mild to rather loud, corona parodies are tickling funny bones across the world.

Comedienne Jamie Lever has recreated Dhanush’s popular Kolaveri Di number into Why This Corona Disease? (Photo: Instagram)

What could be better than dogs in a video? Dogs singing a coronavirus parody! Canandian comedian Chantal Desjardins posted a video of her little ‘pandemic’ pup Cooper, singing a version of Gloria Gaynor’s iconic song I Will Survive but with a Covid twist. “At first I was afraid, I was petrified,” Cooper sings. “I didn’t get why mom was suddenly always inside… There’s no more barking at the mailman, what’s a dog supposed to do for fun?” The Pets Will Thrive song went viral and has been shared almost 40,000 times with over 15 million views. Desjardins says, “I was sitting in self-isolation with my fiancé and our new puppy, Cooper, when I thought to myself... he sure is cute. Why not make him sing? I had no idea it would go viral. I was just trying to make people smile during these difficult times.’’

Actor Johnny Lever’s daughter, comedienne Jamie Lever has recreated Dhanush’s popular Kolaveri Di number into Why This Corona Disease?. Through the song, she traces the origin of the disease from China’s Wuhan and ends with an emphasis on washing hands and wearing masks.

Jamie says her intent was to give people something entertaining and informative at this time. Her comic set ups have always included music elements, so recording the song was no different. “My friend Rohan Malode, who is part of my group that jams together regularly, rang and asked me if we can do a song about Covid-19 and I agreed. I chose Kolaveri because it was the first song that explained to the industry what going viral meant. I wrote the lyrics the same night, and the next day, we got together and shot this song. I was very excited about it and was amazed to see that it spread like wildfire within minutes,” she says.

Talent flows in this family. Her father Johnny Lever has also released his own corona parody of the classic Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein, which has also gone viral on Instagram.

The Ministry of Railways also threw its towel in the game as it released an anthem titled Corona Won’t Have a Chance, Bro to spread awareness about the virus. The two-minute-long video, set to the tune of hit number I Am A Disco Dancer, was released by the Railway Ministry on their official Twitter handle.

Even the police have joined in on the parody bandwagon. Goa Police PSI, Diogo Gracias, made a corona parody of the Konkani Song, Mog Tuzo Kithlo Ashelom, where he asks locals to not to go out of their homes. Chhattisgarh cop Abhinav Upadhyay also made news by performing a rendition of Shor movie’s Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai; tweaking the song to turn it into a guide against coronavirus.

Upadhyay sing: “Ghar main hi rehna hai. Bahar nahi jaana hai. Khud ki raksha karte hue auro ko bachana hai. Sanitiser lagana hai, haath dhoke hi jaana hai, milke ab humko, corona ko harana hai (We need to stay home. We shouldn’t go out. We must save others as well as ourselves. We have to use a sanitizer and wash hands. Together, we have to beat coronavirus).” His viral clip crooning this has appreciated by Bollywood filmmaker-music composer Vishal Bhardwaj on the microblogging site, among many others.

Hollywood isn’t immune to the parody bug either. Several YouTubers have realised the Bee Gees’ iconic Stayin’ Alive could be turned into Stayin’ Inside. One of the best versions has been sung by Brent McCollough and friends with the video raking in 1.16 million views and counting.

American singer-songwriter Chris Mann used all the free time on his hands to do some popular coronavirus parodies, including the iconic song Hello by Adele (Hello / How are you? / Do your fingers hurt from scrolling through / The cat memes on your iPhone?), which soon hit 5 million views.

While locked up inside, watch ’em all and enjoy!

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

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