Why has nobody written a good song about lockdown?

Posted On August 2, 2024August 2, 2024

It is often said that the greatest art comes from particularly painful experiences. If that old adage is to be believed, however, why have there been no decent tracks released about the Covid-19 pandemic, which engulfed the globe throughout 2020 and 2021? Perhaps not enough time has passed since the horrific events of those years spent in lockdown to render them in song form, or perhaps it is simply difficult to rhyme anything with ‘Pfizer’. Either way, should we be expecting lockdown-inspired songs to flood the airwaves anytime soon?

Throughout the history of pop and rock music, songwriters have coveted themes of love, death, and heartbreak, among others, because they are pretty universal experiences. No matter where you hail from, you can probably relate to these experiences, and relatability makes for a successful pop single. You would imagine, therefore, that the Covid-19 pandemic lends itself quite well to the music world, as the virus ravaged the vast majority of the globe. There were very few people who were not, in some way, affected by the disease or the subsequent lockdowns.

Coupled with the universal experience of the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, all that time spent indoors at a loose end seems to lend itself pretty well to the art of songwriting. For the first time, many artists were free from the distractions of touring, recording, and travelling, freeing up their calendars to focus solely on songwriting. Indeed, if you look at the artistic and musical output of the post-Covid years, the cultural sphere has witnessed a significant boom thanks, in part, to the free time and opportunities provided by the pandemic.

Nevertheless, there have not been many tracks released that focus on the pandemic or lockdown itself. The potential reasons for this thematic omission are myriad. For starters, the Covid lockdowns were detrimental to the world of live music and entertainment worldwide. By their very nature, musicians, artists and performers were not receiving furlough payments, and many were left struggling to survive without the income that touring and recording provide. Of course, the last thing that is on your mind when struggling to survive is the best way to convert that experience into a commercially viable pop record.

Furthermore – and perhaps most importantly – lockdown was an endlessly bleak period, particularly in the UK. Unable to see loved ones, living in constant fear of catching Covid and dealing with an incredibly difficult cost of living crisis meant that a lot of people, artists included, were simply burnt out by the lockdown.

Particularly with regard to pop music, people listen to records as a means of escape from reality. Never has such an escape been so vital for the mental health and well-being of music fans than during the Covid-19 lockdowns. While music that reflects the time period is often important, it is difficult to imagine anybody sitting alone, unable to go outside and see their loved ones, yearning to listen to a song about the very pandemic that has forced them inside.

There have been a handful of songs written about the pandemic, from Frank Turner’s ‘Pandemic PTSD’ to Foals’ ‘Wake Me Up’, but the vast majority of musical expression during the Covid years focused on escapism rather than social commentary. The Covid lockdowns decimated the cultural sector in the UK and abroad, and it caused untold levels of heartbreak and suffering in people’s lives. In all likelihood, artists probably don’t want to be seen to be profiting off of that suffering by creating music based on it. It is the same reason that you don’t hear many songs about natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other heinous crimes; it would be in pretty bad taste.

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