Review of "Six Feet Apart" by Alec Benjamin

At the start of April, Alec Benjamin released a song that speaks volumes to the world’s current situation. During the current pandemic, professionals urge us to limit all human contact, unless it is with someone you are currently living with. The song delves into the loneliness that we all face during quarantine, and focuses on the struggles that come with social distancing.

In the first verse, Alec expresses his desire to return to a time before COVID-19, stating, “I've been missing the elements and wishing the elephant in the room would leave and kindly close the door. I can't ignore him like before, not anymore.” Here, he reminisces about life prior to the coronavirus and wishes it--or in this case, the elephant in the room--would simply disappear. He emphasizes this point later on: “So I think I'll build a time machine and go back to a time, when we didn't need to measure six feet on the ground.” Two months ago, the world was completely unaware of the massive impact this disease would have on everyday activities. Because of that, many have come to the realization that we’ve taken them for granted.

He also discusses the emotional and mental strain of being in a state of isolation for a prolonged period of time. He says, “I'd say I'm relatively close to breaking down, because...I feel so alone.” Human interaction has proven to be essential in one’s life, time and time again, and with a sudden lack of company it’s become very difficult for people (especially those dealing with mental illness) to feel grounded or connected to others in some way. In the second verse, Alec uses the lyrics, “Space and time are interwoven... time sticks like glue.” The feeling of time dragging on alone can be overwhelming--much more so than most would have imagined. With no clear end date, a majority of people have let hopelessness and despair set in. However, if there is one thing that this song has shown us, it’s that we are not alone. We’re all missing the people that we love, whether they’re essential workers trying to keep our country running, in the hospital being treated for COVID-19, or even in another state/country. The most important thing to remember is that no matter where you are, whether it's six feet apart or six-hundred miles away, this pandemic will not last forever.

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