This Recap of 2020 Set to ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ Is Painfully Accurate

To say a lot has happened in 2020 is an understatement. There’s no denying that events that occurred this year will be in our children’s history books and even their children’s as well.

On top of the obvious, like enduring multiple lockdowns during a global pandemic, countless other headlines have also made the news this year. And what better way than to recap an entire 365 days than with a song that goes over it all?

Instead of going out to a party on New Year’s Eve (because what are parties anymore?), one man named Jared Troilo decided to celebrate in a different way. From the comfort of home, he took the beat of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire, a popular song that goes through the top headlines that occurred between 1949 and 1989. For Jared’s rendition, he changed each and every headline to be appropriate for 2020 (because let’s face it, enough has happened in this one year to dedicate an entire song about it).

Jared goes through all of the notable events that occurred this year—from what TV shows were a hit, to the day Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to take a step back from the royal family, to all the political events, and of course, being quarantined to our homes for the last nine months. He sings perfectly in tune to Joel’s original song, all while sipping a beer between verses (because, well, #2020).

Troilo, an actor, encourages those who are able to donate to local arts organizations to support artists during this difficult time when many are out of work. He shares an important disclaimer as well:

Disclaimer: I mean no disrespect to the people and/or events mentioned. In fact, these are the people and events that have had a profound impact on me this year, for better or worse.

It’s truly a work of art—the perfect theme song to 2020. You’ll probably find yourself both humming along and laughing simultaneously. Check out Jared below to listen to the entire song in full!

(Here’s a link to the video if you’re having trouble with the player below.)

How creative is this song? Are there any news events for 2020 that you can think of that Jared may have left out? What was your favorite verse or lyric to this song?