Jon Bon Jovi is enlisting fans to help him write a new song, “Do What You Can,” to bring people together amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Sunday night, the musician shared a video in which he explained the project, saying he’d already written the first verse and chorus, but that he wanted others to fill in the second verse with their stories.
“Tell me what you’re going through,” Bon Jovi said. “Tell me how you’re feeling, tell me if you’re hurting. Talk about that high school graduation that’s gonna be canceled, talk about that prom you might just not have, talk about that baby coming that there’s nothing you can do about that, talk about the paycheck you’re losing, talk about being afraid — looking out your window and wondering what to make of all this. Just remember, we’re gonna get through it.”
Bon Jovi then played the portions of the song he’d written, singing about the surreal scenes of the past few weeks — “Small towns are rolling up their sidewalks/One last paycheck coming through” — before launching into the uplifting chorus: “When you can’t do what you do/You do what you can/This ain’t my prayer/It’s just a thought I’m wanting to send/Round here we bend but don’t break/Down here we all understand/When you can’t do what you do/You do what you can.”
Bon Jovi, the band, has already been directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with keyboardist David Bryan revealing on Saturday that he’d tested positive for the virus. “I’ve have been quarantined for a week and will for another week,” Bryan wrote on social media. “And when I feel better I’ll get tested again to make sure I’m free of this nasty virus. Please help out each other. This will be over soon… with the help of every American.”
Bon Jovi are set to release a new album, Bon Jovi 2020, on May 15th. A summer tour is expected to begin in July if the coronavirus pandemic has been contained enough to allow for touring.
