Brooklyn-based rock icon Neil Diamond posted a video on his Twitter account in an attempt to lighten the spirits of his fans, and everyone currently dealing with the affects of the coronavirus. Diamond recorded a video of himself performing his classic “Sweet Caroline” with some changes in the lyrics, as he sings “Hands, washing hands / Reaching out / Don’t touch me / I wont touch you” before singing the famous chorus of the song.
Diamond is just the latest artist to reach out to fans during these difficult times; Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie released a new song “Life In Quarantine” over the weekend, Morrissey played “London” at live show in London for the first time in 13 before England began to close down due to the outbreak, and Dirty Projectors covered John Lennon’s “Isolation” as a response to the coronavirus. Artists all over the world have been adjusting to the cancellation and postponement of tours and music festivals, and the music industry as a whole has certainly been taking a heavy toll.
Although it may seem as if music fans have nothing immediate to look forward to with the cancellation and postponement of major music festivals and tours (including Coachella, SXSW, Ultra, and Bonnaroo), perhaps the fact that artists in quarantine with nothing but time in their hands will lead to a large influx in new music in the upcoming months.
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