When I play this alongside learning from the publication of The Psychology of Pandemics by Steven Taylor, which says that in most pandemics in human history humans have behaved cooperatively, not competitively or full of the conflict of Netflix/Hollywood disaster movies, then I’m full of hope for us as a species.

Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill
Those of your needs
That you won't let show

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me

(Call me) If you need a friend
(Call me) Call me, uhuh uhuh
(Call me) If you need a friend
(Call me) If you ever need a friend
(Call me) Call me
(Call me) Call me
(Call me) Call me
(Call me) Call me
(Call me) If you need a friend
(Call me) Call me
(Call me) Call me
(Call me) Call me
(Call me) Call me
(Call me)

By way of background, Lean on Me was released in April 1972 as the first single from his second album, Still Bill. It was his only number one single on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100.[1] Billboard ranked it as the No. 7 song of 1972.[2] It is ranked number 208 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[3] . Bill’s childhood was in a coal mining town in West Virginia and he had just relocated to Los Angeles, where he lived in a decrepit house in a poor part of town and he found himself missing the strong community ethic that we are currently seeing during this time of Covid 19.

Lean on Me By Bill Withers is my song for this month.