Sang this song during the Mudcat Worldwide Sing a few weeks ago, but forgot to post the words here. (As it happens, I've just (as of 31st August) released it as a single – the first time I've actually released something I've written! Which is why I was so busy I forgot to post it here...)

It refers to the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times", and explores the idea that there may be more than one kind of "infection" to blame for our current "interesting times".

I wrote it so I could enter it in the 2020 John Birmingham Cup songwriting competiton, which was online and (for the first time) requested that entries be on a specific subject: the year 2020 (it received an honourable mention).

Interesting Times
© Vikki Appleton Fielden, Aug 2020

It's in the air, it's everywhere
My love, we live in interesting times
And anyone at all can share it
Alas, we live in interesting times

SOME are worried, call for change
Others laugh and see no danger

If you got gold, you can buy the news
And facts can be whatever you choose

The world is burnin' up with fevers,
Shakin' with storms and hellish leaders

The real disease ain't nothin' new
It's been around longer than me and you

Friends, the cure we really need
Is for hate and fear and lies and greed

Feeling hopeless? That's too easy
There's work to do, so let's get busy
And let us end these interesting times
There's work to do, so let's get busy
And let us end these interesting times

You can listen to (or even buy ;-) ) the song on Bandcamp – or pretty much any streaming service.

Interesting Times video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFIUB05cR9w
The video of me is from a recording session at Abbey Road Studios in July '21; the graffiti in the video is on a looong wall a few minutes' walk from where I live in Sheffield.

(And while I'm plugging stuff... I may as well mention that I've finally got 'round to doing a website for myself: https://yorkshireyankee.com)

This is the kind of song that's easy to 'update' by adding new verses, so here are some new ones that aren't on the recording:

The PM lies, the press salute
The fields are full of rotting fruit

The NHS is on its knees
The Yanks will buy it, piece by piece

The numbers spike and Twitter sings
The problem here is not the 'ping'

If no-one believes your votes were stolen
Tell Fox News to do some trollin'

The icecaps melt, Australia burns
The forest shrinks, the plague returns

Our troops in Kabul wave goodbye
While those who helped us stay and die