That Was The Year That Was 2020 in review, in revue-style.
Our weekly column That Was The Week That Was takes its name from perhaps the first political satire TV programme in the world, broadcast in the early 1960s, by the BBC. It opened each week with a song, the structure of which did not change, but the contents were amended to reflect the week’s news. An example of the song, the tune and the structure are here.
In honour of that, here is our year, in review, in revue style…
That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. That was the year that was It started way above par it finished well below... That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. We took our ease, It brought us a disease. January started as January might, We worried we might have too much flight, February saw news from the east, We ignored it, we were ready to feast On all that traffic, all that cargo... So March was a shock, The cargo was carried, the passengers blocked April and May was lockdown, all over the world Passengers cancelled, but still vouchers held. By June we were panicked, as panicked can be, But the states were there, cash at the ready. That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. That was the year that was It started way above par it finished well below... That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. We took our ease, It brought us a disease. July saw the sun, and what we hoped was some light, At the end of the tunnel, instead it was more pain, There was no hope, no lifting of blight, That was no light, it was an on-coming train. August was summer, at least in the north, We hoped for a rebound; crowds off to the beach, All we got in its place was regulatory back-and-forth, And instructions to inject bleach. That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. That was the year that was It started way above par it finished well below... That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. We took our ease, It brought us a disease. By September our patience was very quite thin All the forecasts, all the spin, all the grins landed in the bin. October we focused on vaccines, the great hope of the year, But getting to the world would call for cargo heading to a new frontier. The right to fly anywhere, whenever they liked... A small price to pay, some pundits would say But not if you want Chicago to hold sway. November was the month for only the brave As we all started to ride that second wave. Now we reach December, and Christmas is shot But it is fine for incumbents – they get the slots... That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. That was the year that was It started way above par it finished well below... That was the year that was, It’s over, let it go. That was the year that was.