Simply 13 Happy Birthday alternatives to sing whilst washing your hands for 20 seconds
We don’t mind washing our hands for 20 seconds, it’s the bit about singing Happy Birthday that might begin to grate, say, six months into this coronavirus thing.
So we’re especially grateful to @JenMonnier for coming up with this list of alternative tunes to sing which also last the requisite 20 seconds or so.
You're supposed to wash your hands for 20 sec, which is the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. But I'm tired of singing Happy Birthday and you probably are too, so I've done the very important public service of compiling other songs with roughly 20 sec choruses to sing:
— Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
And by the looks of all those likes and retweets, we weren’t the only ones to appreciate it. So here they all are.
1. Love on Top (Beyonce)https://t.co/7ax4Ya172v
— Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
2. Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)https://t.co/2WZENLjTeR
— Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
3. Raspberry Beret (Prince)https://t.co/aB6gxpXJ8j
— Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
4. Jolene (Dolly Parton)https://t.co/GTl8UOwpf4
— Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
5. Africa (Toto)https://t.co/M2GV8Px5rT
— Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
6. Truth Hurts (Lizzo)https://t.co/kELQZTfYky
— Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
And lots of people piled in with their own suggestions and it became even more joyful.
"Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees has a chorus that is 24 seconds long, and ALSO doubles as the cadence for doing CPR massage. One song, two vital health uses!
— Tom Forsyth (@tom_forsyth) March 2, 2020
The other usual CPR contender is Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" – HOWEVER the chorus is only 17 seconds, so the Bee Gees win this one.
Nellie The Elephant comes in at a useless 14 seconds. Avoid.
— Tom Forsyth (@tom_forsyth) March 2, 2020
I'm gonna start singing "It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had" everytime now pic.twitter.com/ABN5B1n9V8— Danny O Brien 📻️⚽️🏉📖 (@DannyEdoBrien) March 2, 2020
Never Gonna Give You Up. The chorus is about 17 seconds, so add a couple of background “Never go as give” to the end to make it 20. This thread was ripe for rickrolling.
— Leanne Walker (@walkerva) March 2, 2020
Mr. Brightside by The Killers (22 seconds) also works well.
— Tim: An Author-like Creature (@thattinywebsite) March 2, 2020
This land is your land, this land is my land
From the California to the New York island
From the Redwood Forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me— Martha Bellisle (@marthabellisle) March 2, 2020
The opening signature tune of #TheArchers is also 20 seconds long.
And the correct tempo for administering CPR.
That’s public service broadcasting for you… https://t.co/HTTFYz81fL
— keridavies (@keridavies) March 2, 2020
I’m extra careful and go with Stairway to Heaven.
— Greg Durrett (@gdurrett) March 2, 2020
And just in case you were wondering.
Can people not count to 20?
— Mick Sweetman (@MickSweetman) March 2, 2020
Yes, and very fast. That's kinda the problem.
— aliza (is on hiatus till wednesday) (@NomDeWho) March 2, 2020
To conclude …
This is the type of public health messaging we need. https://t.co/Mfyi4I5QTI
— Shana Gadarian (@sgadarian) March 2, 2020
And this!
Congratulations – you are the new head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
— Kevin – not that Kevin (@Ovasi) March 2, 2020
Source Twitter @JenMonnier
