I was thinking a lot about writing a song concerning the virus. Spent days thinking about what viewpoint to take. Something like “We Are The World” would be perfect. Something to explain that we are all in this boat together, with one spirit.

My first thought was to start a song, and then email it to some great musicians in different parts of the world and each person could play there instrument from their own home, but soon I saw other artist posting songs online. However, a million beautiful words from a distance cannot express the agony of one tear shed from the heart of a loved one, whose family member is lost to this tragedy.

I saw videos posted of the medical workers sacrificing their lives in service to the community and my heart was pounding and I could hardly breathe.

From time to time I would check prices for flights back to America, and wonder if I should do what some other foreigners did, jump on a plane for an extended holiday away from China. But I realized there is nowhere I want to go and I have been here for so long now, Shanghai is my home. I have to ask myself where would I go and what would I do?

I decided to listen through some songs I have written over the years, and see if there was something that would magically fit the situation, and I did find a few.

I found a video of a song called “Love is Better Than Gold”. I wrote it 30 years ago and the concert was in 2014, but I never posted it. It’s just another thing I thought I would do someday.

The general concept of the song is that we spend most of our time working for money which rules our lives in a way. But when it comes to life and death situations, like this epidemic it is love that has the power. Many people would sacrifice their own lives to save the people they love.

If you had one hour to live would you spend it with your treasures, or with the person you love.

And how to remember this in everyday life when things do go back to normal? Of course we need money to have a life but never forget to cherish the people who give us happiness. Be grateful everyday for the life and love we have.

We are learning so many powerful lessons during these days, and I do hope we don’t abandon those once the danger vanishes, and quarantine is lifted.

Because of the quarantine I have now posted the video of my live performance in Shenzhen. The song is called “Love is Better Than Gold”（click here to watch: https://v.qq.com/x/page/b30728desy0.html）. I sent it by private WeChat to select friends and we had big conversations about love, money in relationships.

(Story by Phillip Jarrell)

Below are the lyrics for the song “Love is Better Than Gold”:

Money is all we seem to talk about these days.

What went wrong and how to change our ways.

Slow down the car you know we’ve got to save the gas.

As slow as we can go it seems to go so fast.

(CHORUS)

Money, Ain’t going to send my soul to heaven

Money, Ain’t going to stop my growing old

Money, is it the reason that we’re living.

Honey we got love. Ain’t that enough?

Oh we got love. Ain’t that enough?

Take away the Milky Way and I would be sad.

Lift the sickness from the earth and I’ll be glad.

Why do I spend my time slaving for bills.

Am I just a prisoner of the pleasure the thrills ?

Of, Money, Ain’t going to send my soul to heaven

Money, Ain’t going to stop my growing old

Money, Is it the reason that we’re living.

Honey we’ve got love and it’s the power of the hour in my soul.

We don’t need gold, We’ve got love, The Power of Love.

Let’s tear up these credit cards and send them out to space.

I don’t need computers screaming in my face.

I feel your number game it closing in on me.

All I can tell you is I’m crazy to be free，

Money, Ain’t going to send my soul to heaven

Money, Ain’t going to stop my growing old

Money, is it the reason that we’re living.

Honey we’ve got love and it’s the power of the hour in my soul.

We don’t need gold, We’ve got love, The Power of Love.

We got the power. The power of Love.