Odds Are We’re Gonna Be Alright
Screenshot of “Odds Are” lyrics by Barenaked Ladies
I heard this song recently.
Yes, it’s old, but it was new to me.
And it gave me hope.
The song is “Odds Are” by Barenaked Ladies.
Don't worry (but be prepared) — odds are we're gonna be alright! Share on X
Chorus:
The odds are that we
Will probably be
Alright
Odds are we’re gonna be alright
Odds are we’re gonna be alright tonight
I couldn’t help but wonder how this song had not become the anthem for the past two years of COVID.
Or, maybe it had, and I was just out of the loop?
Down the rabbit hole…
I Googled the lyrics and found the song. One thing led to another, as it so often does on the internet, and I found additional links as well:
Barenaked Ladies – “Odds Are” (Official Music Video) | Rooster Teeth (2013)
Barenaked Ladies “Odds Are” Lyric Video (Same original song, but I like the graphics more than the official music video silliness.)
The COVID Mindset – Odds Are – BNL Cover by Willy G (Nice cover, and the first instance I found of someone presenting the song as a COVID anthem.)
Barenaked Ladies – Odds Are (SelfieCamJam) (They did a whole series of #SelfieCamJam #IsolateNotIsolated fund-raising recordings during COVID. I recognized several of the songs but couldn’t have told you before who sang them. Who knew I would like the Barenaked Ladies?)
Jackpot!
Then I hit the mother lode of feel-good songs:
How many of these songs do you know?
If I recognized most of them, you will too. The list includes “Odds Are”.
God helps those who help themselves
“Odds Are” could probably be interpreted by some to mean they don’t have to lift a finger (or get vaxxed, or wear a mask) to help things to be alright. But I don’t see it that way at all. It’s like the parable of the drowning man:
Man: “Why didn’t you deliver me from that flood?”
God: “What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”
(Differing concepts of God notwithstanding.)
Don’t worry (but be prepared)
Another part of the song goes like this:
So get up, get up
No, it’s never gonna let up
So you might as well sing along.
If it’s not COVID, it’s gonna be something else. So you might as well learn some coping strategies, like being prepared for emergencies and difficult times.
The Barenaked Ladies — I didn’t even know the group was comprised of four now-middle-aged Canadian dudes, although it’s not like I’ve been imagining all these years that they were actual bare-naked ladies, either, lol — did not anticipate COVID when they wrote “Odds Are” any more than I did when I wrote the following blog posts.
Organizing for Stressful Times
The Worry Matrix: How to Decide What’s Worth Worrying About (It’s all about the odds.)
What are you worried about? Don’t worry – take action!
Organizing to De-stress a Major or Chronic Illness
The more you can prepare for likely and inevitable circumstances — that is, short of spending your life obsessed with preparations — and focus on the things over which you have some control, the more you can free your mind from the form of mental clutter called worry. I have Girl Scouts (motto: Be Prepared) to thank for this mindset.
As I like to say:
Worrying is like praying for something you don’t want.
Worrying is like praying for something you don’t want. Share on X
What is your favorite song (or saying) that makes you feel like you’re gonna be alright?
Please share it with us in the comments!
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Copyright 2022 by Hazel Thornton, Organized for Life and Beyond
Author of What’s a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy
Please contact me for reprint permission (other than direct social media links).
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Wow! Thank you for getting me singing and grooving at my computer. I clicked to listen to the video version of “Odds Are” that you liked. It’s so singable, and I love the words!
Favorite song or saying that makes me feel like things are “going to be alright” – The first thing that came to mind was hearing my Dad’s voice telling me (which he did on many occasions,” “It’s going to be OK, Lin.” I’m going with that. He continues to be a grounding, guiding force in my life even though he is long gone.
Hi Linda, I’m glad you liked it! The second video is the exact same song, and I edited my comment to say why I like it better than the first video. I think there’s nothing better than the memory your Dad’s voice and words to comfort you (knowing you had a good relationship with him, for which you are lucky).
I’m Canadian, so I’ve known about The Barenaked Ladies for a long time, but I didn’t know this song. I agree that it’s very fitting to these times and have pinned your post to my “COVID-19 Life and Work Strategies” board. I’d kind of hoped I wouldn’t be adding to that one, but here we are…
Right? Ugh! Glad you liked the song, though!
“Get up! Get up!”
Having grown up on the Canadian border, listening to Toronto radio (CHUM-FM! CFNY!) I am a HUGE BNL fan since well before they were famous — I have the original Yellow Tape, which was a demo circulating! This was exactly the song I needed to hear today, Hazel. I’d kind of forgotten about it, and I think it’s going to be my anthem for this week. It’s got the same musical energy as the Black-Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling (Today’s Gonna Be a Good Day)” but with more of a reality check.
I’d been saying that what we need is an anti-COVID Spotify playlist with songs that give us some uplift, and you’ve not only found the best song, but a whole list of 49 of them. Thank you!
Oh, and the parable of the drowning man? I’ve never loved a version of that more than the one on The West Wing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dj0nUT8brI
So glad you liked it, Julie! And thanks for the West Wing reminder!
“Odds Are” is one of my FAVORITE songs! It is so uplifting that I dance around every time I listen to it. =) BNL became popular in the early 90s.
I’m seeing them in concert this summer. I bet this song will be one they play. =) Their concert series is called, “Barenaked Ladies: Last Summer on Earth.” lol
Oh, that’s great — enjoy the concert!
What a thought provoking post! I’m afraid I’m someone whose natural inclination is to worry, and try to plan for all eventualities. Of course, this is impossible. I never planned for COVID, or anything like it.
I know worry is a waste of time, and yet it just comes over me sometimes. When this happens, I now try to mindfully fight it. Sometimes I distract myself with other thoughts, music, work, etc. Also, I pray when I’m feeling anxious. I do need to fight it. I wish I were more laid back, but there it is.
Distraction and praying are good tools, right up there with preparation!
Hazel, this is a fantastic post. I don’t have a favorite song but I do have a favorite mantra it goes like this:
Worrying does not empty tomorrow of it’s troubles. It robs today of its’ strength – Mary Engelbreit
I found this when my son was learning how to drive. This was before the time of cell phones and I had to trust he was going to get where he was going.
I keep it posted in my office and read it aloud when I find myself going down the worry rabbit hole – particularly when things are out of my control. Then I focus on doing one thing that I can take care of.
Thank you for this great post!
Thank you, Diane. I like Mary Engelbreit too!