This George Michael Song Hits Hard In 2016

On Christmas Day, it was announced that George Michael had died at the age of 53. Of course, fans were shocked to hear the singer, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, had died and at such a young age. One fan who spoke out was talk show host James Corden, who noted that Michael's "Praying For Time" is particularly appropriate right now, in 2016.

Corden, who did his first ever Carpool Karaoke with Michael in 2011, tweeted after news of the former Wham! singer's death was reported, "George Michael wrote Praying for Time 25 years ago but I truly believe it's message means more now than ever," alongside an video of a performance of the song.

Corden is absolutely right. 2016 has been a devastatingly rough year no matter how you slice it. The world lost numerous great talents, Michael among them, like Prince, David Bowie, and Muhammad Ali. The year also seemed relentless when it came to violence in the United States and abroad. Then, in America, there was the 2016 Presidential Election, which, no matter what side of the playing field you're on, was stressful in the months leading up to the election. (And has been particularly stressful in the months following the election if you are not on the side of Donald Trump.)

The lyrics of "Praying for Time" speak to a world that is in turmoil. For instance,

And it's hard to love, there's so much to hate

Hanging on to hope

When there is no hope to speak of

And the wounded skies above say it's much too late

Well maybe we should all be praying for time

So, whether you're worried about global warming, war, the nation being divided, or an issue more personal to yourself, the words Michael sings will probably hit hard, especially in December 2016. No matter what you're going through right now, at some point, I think we've all felt like we had to pray for time.

Check out the full lyrics here, and a performance of the song by Michael, above.