Singapore, small island nation located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula in South-East Asia, has been hard-hit by SARS. People who have come into contact with victims of SARS prior to the display of symptoms have been issued with Home Quarantine Orders (10 days at home is not fun, if not for E2). Students have been kept away from school for 3 weeks (not fun, because it is a Home Quarantine Order).
Everyone is down in the dumps, so MediaCorp TV wrote this rap to cheer the citizens of Singapore up. This rap was performed by Phua Chu Kang (local sitcom character, played by Gurmit Singh) ad nauseam on screens all over Singapore.
It is clearly meant to be as widely distributed as possible, so feel free to chain-mail this to everyone you know. There are many little nuances in the rap that only Singaporeans will understand, so read the w/u on Singlish if you wish.
Lyrics to 'Sar-Vivor Rap' by PCK Pte Ltd
Verse 1:
Some say “leh”, some say “lah”
Uncle Phua says time to fight SARS
Everybody, we have a part to play
To help fight SARS at the end of the day.
Wash your hands whenever you can
Wash with soap1, then at least got hope
When you get home, take a bath quickly
“Kiasu” a bit - be safe, not “SAR-ry”.
Try not to travel to SARS countries2
Wait a few months lah, wait and see
Eh why you rush to catch that plane?
Use internet lah, use your brain!
Getting protection from this virus
Means getting healthy- inside us
Don't work too much until you're sick
Get exercise and get yourself fit.
Good nutrition and vitamins
Help you to pass the immunity challenge
Eat your proteins, carbo and fibre
Then you can be a... “SAR-vivor”.
PCK say don't play play
or this stupid SARS is here to stay
But we can fight this, you and me
Help fight SARS in our country.
SARS is the virus that I just want to minus
No more surprises if you use your brain, use your brain, use your braaainnn,
Can’t SARS me baby, and I don’t mean maybe
You must be steady, just use your brain, use your brain, use your braaainnn,
Verse 2:
Some say “leh”, some say “lah”
Uncle Phua says time to fight SARS
Everybody, we have a part to play
To help fight SARS at the end of the day.
If you're sick, don't go to work
Even if your boss is a jerk
Don't be hero and continue working
Wait the whole company “kenna” quarantine3.
Wear a mask when you see a doctor4
See the same one, don't be a doc hopper
Wait at the clinic, stay in one spot
Don't spread your germs at the coffee shop
Think you got SARS? Call 993
Ambulance will come for free
They'll check you up at Tan Tock Seng5
Where they know about SARS like I know about “Ah Bengs”6.
Hey, if you “kenna” Home Quarantine
Don't you go out except in your dreams
“Tahan” a while and cooperate
Don't give everybody a big headache
PCK say don't play play
or this stupid SARS is here to stay
But we can fight this, you and me
Help fight SARS in our country.
SARS is the virus that I just want to minus
No more surprises if you use your brain, use your brain, use your braaainnn,
Can’t SARS me baby, and I don’t mean maybe
You must be steady, just use your brain, use your brain, use your braaainnn,
Verse 3:
Some say “leh”, some say “lah”
Uncle Phua says time to fight SARS
Everybody, we have a part to play
To help fight SARS at the end of the day.
Keep our country clean and green
Because nowadays, the germs are mean
Don't leave food for stray dogs or cats
Unless you want to keep their germs as pets.
Cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze
You think everyone want to catch your disease?
Don't “kak-pui”! all over the place
You might as well “Kak pui” on my face.
Don't throw your tissues all over the shop
Think no one can see you so you don't stop
Make me sick when people don't care
Make you sick when you breathe the air
Even when things are getting better
Don't do things and become a “regret-ter”
Think SARS is gone? Your head ah.
But listen to me and we'll be ok lah.
PCK say don't play play
or this stupid SARS is here to stay
But we can fight this, you and me
Help fight SARS in our country.
SARS is the virus that I just want to minus
No more surprises if you use your brain, use your brain, use your braaainnn,
Can’t SARS me baby, and I don’t mean maybe
You must be steady, just use your brain, use your brain, use your braaainnn
1. Posters have been put up at public washrooms depicting the correct way to wash your hands!
2. Toronto, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, in no particular order
3. Home Quarantine Orders are issued to people who have been in contact with SARS victims, even if contact was prior to display of symptoms. The order lasts for 10 days, and failure to comply is punishable by law.
4. Kinda hard, because there was a severe shortage of face masks back then
5. TTS Hospital was designated as the SARS hospital - for that period, the docs attended to no one but SAARS patients. Not the kind of place you want to be in. It's back to normal now.
6. "Beng" is a sort of endearing term for street hoodlum, foul-mouthed young people with a predisposition towards violence. Phua Chu Kang himself is one, sans the foul mouth (there are children watching).
lyrics courtesy of MediaCorp TV (http://ch5.mediacorptv.com/wassup/ch5announcements/view/194/2/.html). Feel free to distribute!