Earlier this week, R.E.M.’s iconic single ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),’ experienced a surge in popularity. The song has climbed the iTunes chart to #26 — 33 years after its release. In response, R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe has taken to social media to share a video outlining precautions we should be taking amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the video, the singer performs a few lines from the neurotic anthem, before sharing his four rules for dealing with the situation.
“I do feel fine. I feel okay,” he begins “The important part of that lyric, that song title, is ‘As We Know It.’ We’re about to go through – we are going through something that none of us have ever encountered before and that is, of course, the coronavirus. And it’s real and it’s serious and it’s here.”
Stipe then offered four essential tips to get through the crisis. The Michael Stipe COVID-19 survival guide is as followed:
1. Stay at home whenever possible. “Happy St. Patrick’s Day, we’ll celebrate in four months.”
2. Wash your hands for 20 seconds every time you enter or exit your house. Don’t sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice, it’s too depressing. Find some other song.
3. Act like you’re already sick. You may already have the virus, and you don’t want to be within six feet of anyone else because you could pass it on to them, they pass it on to someone else, they pass it on to two other people. You don’t want to be that guy. I don’t want to be that guy.”
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4. Be careful where you get your information. I’m a former pop star. Don’t trust social media. Go to the CDC website. Go to trusted news services for your information.
You can watch Michael Stipe’s PSA below.
