‘Song of Hope’ performed by Alabama school principal becomes hilarious YouTube hit
A unique version of the classic “Amazing Grace” has become a surprise hit on YouTube, after an Alabama high school principal retooled the hymn to create “a song of hope, encouragement, and joy regarding COVID-19.”
The end result — viewed nearly 7,500 times in two weeks — has been called everything from “hilarious” to “crazy.”
That’s because Childersburg High Principal Quentin Lee replaced the lyrics with 30 seconds of screams, something many Americans might say reflects the nation’s current state of mind.
“Hey there, it’s me,” Lee says in the video, seated at a keyboard. “I decided that tonight, I would sing to you guys an original song ... that I hope touches your heart. I want to sing a song that gives you hope. I want to sing a song that gives you joy. I want to sing you a song that lets you know how I’ve been feeling during this COVID-19 pandemic.”
He tinkles the keyboard softly, then begins screaming at the top of his lungs. It’s done in complete seriousness, too. No giggles or grins.
Lee, who has been Childersburg High’s principal for three years, explained in a tweet that he was inspired to create the video after seeing another educator had done a COVID-19 song.
“It’s all in fun,” Lee said in the tweet. His school is in the small Talladega County town of Childersburg, about 40 miles southeast of Birmingham.
The video’s growing popularity comes at a time when millions of Americans are struggling with working from home and students are forced to learn virtually because traditional classes have been canceled. Throw in food shortages and lost jobs, and you have lots of simmering frustration from coast to coast.
Comments on Lee’s video suggest many understand his screams.
“Exactly how I feel,” Silver Gray posted on YouTube.
“I needed this!” Andrea Tolbert-Borom wrote on YouTube.
“I could really feel the energy in the lyrics. They hit home like nothing I’ve heard before,” Jonathan Macon said on Lee’s Facebook page.
The success of the song has not escaped Lee, including a mention in the New York Times.
“I guess this means that I need to go on tour,” Lee wrote on Facebook.
He says he’s just waiting for someone “able to do choreography for the dancers.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 12:59 PM with the headline "‘Song of Hope’ performed by Alabama school principal becomes hilarious YouTube hit."