Music

‘I Will Survive’ and 7 Other Songs to Wash Your Hands to Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak

If you're tired of singing the birthday song, here are a bunch of other songs to wash your hands to.

by Chelsea Stewart

Published on April 2, 2020

3 min read

As the coronavirus continues to impact people around the world, health officials have said one of the best ways to prevent it from spreading is by washing your hands.

They recommend lathering up for 20 seconds, which turns out to be around the same amount of time it takes to hum the birthday song twice.

But because that can get really annoying and exhausting, singer Gloria Gaynor suggested people sing songs like her 1978 hit “I Will Survive.” In addition to that one, here are seven other tracks you can sing while scrubbing the germs from your hands.

Gloria Gaynor at an award show in January 2020 | Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Bee Gees – ‘Staying Alive’

Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother
You’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’
And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive

Pretty motivational, right? The best part is that these lyrics only have to be recited once.

Beyoncé – ‘Crazy In Love’

Got me looking so crazy right now, your love’s
Got me looking so crazy right now (your love)
Got me looking so crazy right now, your touch
Got me looking so crazy right now (your touch)
Got me hoping you’ll page me right now, your kiss
Got me hoping you’ll save me right now
Looking so crazy, your love’s
Got me looking, got me looking so crazy in love

You only have to sing this once before leaving your handwashing station. But if you want to stick around a little longer and do the “uh oh” dance in the mirror, we totally understand.

DMX – ‘Party Up’

Y’all gon’ make me lose my mind
Up in here, up in here
Y’all gon’ make me go all out
Up in here, up in here
Y’all gon’ make me act a fool
Up in here, up in here
Y’all gon’ make me lose my cool
Up in here, up in here

Seriously, what better lyrics to sing while we’re all inside practicing social distancing? Say this one time and voilà.

Lizzo – ‘Truth Hurts’

Why men great ’til they gotta be great?
Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face
Best friend sat me down in the salon chair
Shampoo press, get you out of my hair
Fresh photos with the bomb lighting
New man on the Minnesota Vikings
Truth hurts, needed something more exciting
Bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay

The truth is, you’ve only gotta say that one time.

Natasha Bedingfield – ‘Unwritten’

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Repeat just once.

OutKast – ‘Ms. Jackson’

I’m sorry Ms. Jackson (oh), I am for real
Never meant to make your daughter cry
I apologize a trillion times
I’m sorry Ms. Jackson (oh), I am for real
Never meant to make your daughter cry
I apologize a trillion times

Repeat this one twice before turning off your faucet and drying your hands.

TLC – ‘No Scrubs’

No, I don’t want no scrubs
A scrub is a guy that can’t get no love from me
Hangin’ out the passenger side of his best friend’s ride
Trying to holla at me

Two repetitions of this will do the trick.

When those get tiring, try some of the ones that almost made this list. Those include Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen,” Sisqo’s “Thong Song,” Beyoncé’s “Love On Top,” Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” and Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy.”