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The Pandemic of 1918

from Viral Solidarity by David Rovics

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Another pandemic-related song, about the 1918 pandemic with the misnomer of "Spanish Flu" killed tens of millions of people worldwide, including relatives of mine and yours.

lyrics

A world war was raging, like the Earth had never seen
A whole generation lined up in trenches with killing machines
But aside from a few islands and some mountain peaks
The pandemic killed more people in just 24 weeks
No one knows where it began, speculation's gone on for years
The trenches of Europe is where the deadly strain appears
From packed trains and ships and hospitals, around the globe it spread
This war strain of the virus that left so many dead

The death toll was unequal, but barely anywhere
Was left untouched – though the greatest share
Of dying was reserved for the poorest, densest colonies
Of the empires and their wars that created this disease
If you have a couple hours, then do something with me
Conduct a little research into your family tree
If you look into it, it won't take long, quite likely you will find
In 1918, you left an ancestor behind

The pandemic knew no borders, it went from the front lines
Which had increased its deadliness, as if by design
It circled the whole planet, so many people died
They dug mass graves everywhere and put your relatives inside
A world war was raging, like the Earth had never seen
A whole generation lined up in trenches with killing machines
But aside from a few islands and some mountain peaks
The pandemic killed more people in just 24 weeks

credits

from Viral Solidarity, released April 3, 2020

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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