Tell me about the virus again, then I'll go to bed
But my boy, your growing weary, sleepy thoughts about you head
Please! That one's my favourite. I promise, just once more
Take me back to 2020. That's all I'm asking for

Okay, snuggle down, my boy, though I know you know full well
The story starts before then, a world I once would dwell
It was a world full of waste and wonder, of povety and plenty
Back before I understood why hindsight's 2020

You see, the people came up with companies, to trade across all lands
But they swelled and got much bigger than we ever could have planned
We always got our wants, but now it got so quick
You could have anything you dreamed of, in a day with a click

We noticed families had stopped talking. That's not to say they never spoke
But the meaning must have melted and the work-life balance broke
And the children's eyes grew squarer, and every toddler had a phone.
They filtered out the imperfections, but amidst the noise they felt alone

Everyday the clouds grew thicker, till you couldn't see the stars
So we flew on planes to find them, while down below we filled our cars
We'd drive around all day in circles. We'd forgotten how to run
We swapped the grass till they were tarmac, shrunk the parks till there were none

We filled the sea with plastic, 'cause our waste was never capped
Until everyday you went fishing, You'd pull them out, already wrapped
And while we drank and smoke and gambled, our leaders taught us why
It's best to not upset the hobbies - more convenient to die

But then in 2020, a new virus came our way
The governments reacted, told us all to hide away
But while we were hidden, amidst the fear, and all a while
We dusted off our instincts. We remembered how to smile

We started clapping to say thank you and calling up our moms.
And while the car keys gathered, we would look forward to our runs.
And with the skies less full of voyagers, the Earther began to breathe.
And the beaches bore new wildlife that scuttled off into the seas

Some people started dancing, some were singing, some were baking.
We'd grown so used to bad news, but there was good news in the making
Old habits became extinct and they made way for the new
And every simple act of kindness was new given its due.

And so when we found the cure, and were allowed to go outside...
We all preferred the world we found, to the one we'd left behind.
But why did it take a virus to bring the people back together?
Well, sometimes you get sick, my boy, before you start feeling better.

So lie down and dream of tomorrow, and all the things that we can do.
who knows, if you dream hard enough, maybe tome of them will come true
We now call it The Great Realisation, and yes, since then there have been many
But that's the story of how it started and why hidsight's 2020.