I guess that with the popularity of comic book heroes these days it wasn’t going to be long before a figure such as Covidman found its way into the current zeitgeist. Batman is there to battle Gotham City’s underworld and Captain America the enemies of that nation, so why not an anti-pandemic superhero to fight the virus and those who propagate it? Why not indeed?
Musically, Amazing Tales of Covidman takes the form of an acoustic ballad, simple and unadorned, employing only restrained beats and bass runs and the neat use of harmonica which pushes it into a more bluesy part of the music spectrum. But like all such songs, it is the lyrics which are the focal point, a potted history of the pandemic and its spread and a call for just such a health-hero to come to our aid.
But perhaps the main thing to take away from the song is the idea itself. Covidman as a concept would be a great way of promoting concerns around the issue. With superhero, crossover movies regularly hitting the top spot in terms of viewing figures, the reach of this canon of comic book characters is undeniable. So perhaps with such a figurehead for guidance, the message can be weaponised to reach that same audience.
A smart person would already be working on it, the antidote to (de)press(ing) briefings and graphs on the news highlighting our failings as a nation. And when they do so, the sound track is already written and ready to go.
