Noam wrote an end-of-year song with Today, Explained host Sean Rameswaram, so we thought to drop it here as a little end-of-year surprise.

Lyrics:

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second the year’d begun

We had an insurrection

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second the year’d begun

We had an insurrection

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

So if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

So if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

Dial back to when the year had begun

We were looking forward to the end of hibernation

But it didn’t even last a week

No it didn’t even last a week, mm-hmm

On the sixth day of 2021

Vanilla Isis tried to flip the election

But looking back we can’t agree

On the facts, no, we can’t agree, mm-mm

Pretty soon we were signing up for shots (shots!)

Talking about shots (shots!)

Shots shots shots (shots!)

Everyone was a pharma fan

With the Pfizer fam, the Moderna clan (J&J)

But we should have known Delta would happen

Most of humanity not getting vaxxed and

Fourth wave — fifth wave, in rhythm

That’s one more wave than feminism!

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

But according to Joe Ro-gun

You should take Ivermectin

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

But if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

A booster, I’m not sure I need it.

Dune on the IMAX, I seen it.

Back to the good life, I dreamed it. (Arrakis)

Wake up, reality, don’t fit.

Hope you don’t need a house or a condo (a condo)

Hope you don’t need a trip to Toronto (Toronto)

Hope you don’t need some gas for your Durango (Durango)

Hope you don’t need a can of dried mangos (dried mangos)

Everyone is feeling frustration

Quitting jobs — the Great Resignation

Blaming Biden for rising inflation

While billionaires shoot off to space, racing

Did we fix the grid in Texas? (yes)

Figure out how wide the Suez is? (yes)

Don’t ask me

All I see on TV

It's just fights on Critical Race Theory

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Moving onto issue number one:

Whether to allow abortions!

Yeah it wasn’t just what we hoped to see

We might have started too optimistically

But if we keep our expectations low

Maybe the world won’t seem so terrible

I just want to be free

Of thinking about Covid-19

I just want to see

Something done about global warming

And I still don’t get NFT’s

Can’t understand crypto currency and

And we can’t agree on anything

But at least we got together to free Britney

(Oh baby baby)

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second as the year’d begun

We had an insurrection

And people lied about the last election

And made it harder to vote in elections

At least we don’t have another election

Wait, I think there’s another election...

2021, it was gonna be fun

Get a couple shots and then you’re done

Then the second we thought we’d won

We’re learning how to say "Omicron"

Guess you never know what’s gonna come through

Making plans for things you’ll never do

But take it from a brown guy (and a Jew)

There’s always 2022.

This song was written and performed by Sean Rameswaram and Noam Hassenfeld, produced by Noam, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and features additional vocals from Christina Animashaun.

For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable

It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.

Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com

We read every email.

Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox!

bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices