Apparently a lot of folks have been realizing they're not washing their hands for long enough with this very long flu season continuing on, and coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention information being communicated around. Besides the basics like singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," the ABC song and repeating "Happy Birthday" twice and getting bored of those ... here are some other options since you can't really set your stopwatch or a timer hourglass to go off every time you wash your hands.
Inspired by the tweet below, I did a little thinking and listening and came up with a variety of styles but nowhere near definitive list of some great songs by Philly bands and artists who you could use the 15-20 second or longer chorus to sing along to while washing your hands and never get bored. Obviously I am probably missing many great songs by Philadelphia area bands and artists with 20 second or longer choruses, so feel free to comment them below or tweet me @phillymusicpod to get included.
Full disclosure, I just used my phone timer when the chorus started, this is an imperfect and not 100% scientific system!
approx 19-20 seconds or longer: (take an extra breath after you finish singing just to be safe!)
Ben Arnold - Astral Freak, Everywhere You Go
Boyz II Men - End of the Road, I'll Make Love to You
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Upon this Tidal Wave of Young Blood
Cold Fronts - This Always Happens
Creem Circus - Rock N Roll Party
David Fantasy & Adult Content - Make Love with Ice Cream
The Districts - 4th & Roebling
Dominy - Hey There, Big Boy
EDO - Upper Darby Gives Me the Creeps
John Faye - Into Philadelphia, DNA
Full Bush - Ray's
Hall & Oates - You Make My Dreams Come True (*but need all the oohs), Maneater, Kiss on My List
Hoochi Coochi - Walkin
Hooters - All You Zombies
Phyllis Hyman - Old Friend
Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince - Summertime
Joan Jett - I Love Rock N Roll
Johnny Showcase - Hit it from the Back
Labelle / Patti LaBelle - Lady Marmalade, If You Only You Knew
Low Cut Connie - Beverly, Rio
Man Man - Hold On to Your Heart
Mannequin Pussy - Drunk II
Meek Mill - Uptown Vibes, but you have to hum the horn line 2x
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - Don't Leave Me This Way, The Love I Lost, If You Don't Know Me By Now
Pink - So What, Raise Your Glass
Riverby - the Truth
The Wonder Years - I Didn't Like Who I Was Then, Sister Cities, Passing Through a Screen Door
Rylan Brooks - Nobody Loves Me Like Myself, Save the Last Ugly One For Me
Santigold - LES Artists
Jill Scott - A Long Walk, The Way
The Stylistics - You Make Me Feel Brand New, Betcha By Golly Wow
Almost 20 seconds, these are very close... Go ahead and hum a few extra bars at the end or hold that long note at the end an extra couple seconds. All of these are 15-19 seconds.
Tommy Conwell - I'm Not Your Man
Dave Cope & the Sass - If Your Mama Only Knew
Dr. Dog - Shadow People
G Love - I-76
Hall & Oates - Private Eyes (maybe don't clap while washing though)
Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing), Everything is Everything
Pretty Poison - Catch Me (I'm Falling), Nighttime
Todd Rundgren - I Saw The Light, Hello It's Me
Sheer Mag - Need To Feel Your Love
Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy with It
Or if you're really stuck, just sing the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song!
Note: I listened to a lot of Dead Milkmen songs but couldn't find any with 20 second choruses. Most of them are in the 6-11 second range and you could easily repeat. Or you could just sing half of the song part of Bitchin' Camaro without the long intro part (that Rodney changes every time live anyway) I did not listen to every Dead Milkmen song with a stopwatch though. So please let us know if you find one.