WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Who says there's nothing fun to do during the coronavirus pandemic?
A Wellington family with a love for karaoke decided to put their own spin on a classic Neil Diamond song to provide a little comic relief while practicing social distancing.
The Zimmerman family came up with the musical number "COVID-19," sung to the tune of "Sweet Caroline."
Jackie Zimmerman said her family was "just singing songs on Sunday and started changing lyrics."
"We played 'Sweet Caroline' and wrote the song based on everything we've been experiencing while practicing social distancing," she said in an email to WPTV NewsChannel 5.
The music video, which only took them four takes, features Ken Zimmerman as lead singer. Richard Zimmerman, Jackie Zimmerman and her sister-in-law, also Jackie Zimmerman, sing the backup lyrics.
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"All four of us wrote the song together," she said.
Their children Nason and Remi Zimmerman also perform in the video, holding signs they made for their teachers at Equestrian Trails Elementary School.
The Zimmermans provided their own comic twist on Diamond's 1969 song, which remains a karaoke favorite and is regularly played during Boston Red Sox games at Fenway Park.
Here's their revised refrain: "Hands, washing hands, sanitizer, don't touch me and I won't touch you. COVID-19, now that TP is all gone, I am so bored, my binge watching is all done – Netflix, Hulu."
Jackie Zimmerman, who is a teacher at Equestrian Trails Elementary School, said her family decided to make the video to show their love for the doctors, nurses, first responders, pastors, mail carriers and government leaders, while also providing some stress relief for parents who are adjusting to working from home and having to prepare their children for distance learning.
"We thought it would be something to make people laugh," she said.
Watch the full video below.
