"Sing The Happy Birthday song 2x to measure 20 seconds as you wash your hands" is the official protocol now in order to try to contain a certain outbreak. Thank you WHO organisation for prioritising our wellbeing, we appreciate it. And we see your Happy Birthday song twice over and raise you, all of our favourite catchy choruses from the 70s that we can also sing to count out the duration of 20 seconds.
Repeating the same song over and over again is a form of torture, so for variety here are lots of them for you to print out and hang in your own personal bathroom or in your office. We start off with a few easy ones and then move on to the expert level so your can keep mind engaged since, if you're following protocol, you'll be doing this a lot.
ABBA – Dancing Queen
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
You can dance, you can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
David Bowie – Starman
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
Blondie – One Way or Another
One way or another, I'm gonna find ya
I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya
One way or another, I'm gonna win ya
I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya
One way or another, I'm gonna see ya
I'm gonna meet ya, meet ya, meet ya, meet ya
One day, maybe next week, I'm gonna meet ya
I'm gonna meet ya, I'll meet ya
Not entirely sure if it's technically a chorus, but who doesn't know these off by heart (of glass) regardless. Even if you rush a little, you'll still be on 20 seconds.
The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I'm getting older too
You would just about manage Highway To Hell by AC/DC if you add a good guitar solo in there, but the best bet is probably just to do it twice.
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
Dolly Parton by Jolene makes the cut if you really make sure to not rush it and add a bit of country-drawl on your own.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
If we include the pre-chorus (and why wouldn't we) the iconic You're So Vain by Carly Simon, it makes the cut.
I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, you're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?
The real challenge is then to not spend the rest of the day wondering who the song is really about (or tell your colleagues authoritatively 'it's not who you think') or find your mind keep going back to what the metaphor of clouds in a coffee was supposed to refer to.
for those who want to really practice hitting those high notes
we recommend....Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy
I've come home, I'm so cold
Let me in through your window
Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy
I've come home, I'm so cold
Let me in through your window
Because the chorus is repeated in the song itself, you'll be certain to hit that all-important 20 second time limit. If you really nail those high notes you're in luck you'll be able to spare most of your coworkers your singing (except if you have many dogs in your office of course).
Only those with an exceptional sense of rhythm should even attempt this one, but it is, of course, Lou Reed's iconic Walk On The Wild Side, the doo-doo part.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
If you do it in perfect musical timing, you will be on exactly 20 seconds. But you have to be real good to pull this one off, this is only for the advanced (!). Don't forget that key-change there in the middle, it means you're half-way there.