Kermit the Frog joined in with a viral sea shanty – because everything is better with Muppets
We’ve given up trying to explain why anything happens, these days, so when we discovered that TikTok had become obsessed with sea shanties, we just took it at face value.
We can say that the trend seems to have been started by Scottish postal worker, Nathan Evans, who has been sharing the nautical folk songs since the summer of 2020.
It beats trying to nurture a sourdough starter.
Here’s his rendition of Ramblin’ Rover – and no, we can’t tell you what the words are.
@nathanevanss much requested .. Ramblin Rover. #viral #singer #scottishsinger #scotland #acoustic #folk #cover #singing #scottishtiktok #fyp #foryou #artist
In December, he shared The Wellerman, a New Zealand shanty about whaling, not the nicest of topics – but it became his biggest TikTok hit, with almost four and a half million views.
@nathanevanss The Wellerman. ##seashanty ##sea ##shanty ##viral ##singing ##acoustic ##pirate ##new ##original ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##singer ##scottishsinger ##scottish
It’s quite the earworm.
Alongside its enormous popularity came a vast number of stitches – a TikTok feature that lets users comment on or join in with a video by incorporating it into their own.
One really stood out.
@artmonkeyworld #duet with @jonnystewartbass A bit froggy today but wanted to add to the chorus. #seashanty #thewellerman #kermit #fyp #foryoupage #wee #
On TikTok, the multi-layered stitch has had 81,000 views in three days, but Twitter was another story.
I found the best of #seashantytok pic.twitter.com/ellL5qfEoi
— Hayden Miller (@haydenmiller95) January 13, 2021
The video has been viewed 920,000 times in a day, and shared more than 18,000 times one way or another.
My new happy place https://t.co/ROF7eyhnf5
— tom jamieson (@jamiesont) January 13, 2021
I didn’t think it could get any better AND THEN- https://t.co/wDPWAGMivV
— karynuary (@redlemonader) January 13, 2021
WE HAVE REACHED PEAK SHANTYTOK https://t.co/W3W1ZJFyiz
— Dr Mand (@mandapen) January 13, 2021
I’ve been sitting in a darkened room wearing Christmas pajamas and mismatched socks, illuminated by nothing more than the faint glow of my phone screen watching this on repeat. Sorry to brag! https://t.co/yGCqDqviZ0
— Courtney Vineys (@CVineys) January 14, 2021
Writer Carly Lane-Perry said what we were all thinking.
Okay, but now I want an all-Muppet version of this yesterday. https://t.co/piRnZGiqoS
— Carly Lane-Perry (@carlylane) January 13, 2021
We’re not unreasonable. Later today will do.
Finally – a word from ‘Kermit’.
So not only is this getting attention on TikTok but there’s a sea shanty Twitter following as well! I am beyond thrilled to have given this many people some joy today. https://t.co/472BQjMNqV
— David Carr (@artmonkeyworld) January 13, 2021
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Kermit the Frog singing Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” is a thing of beauty
Source artmonkeyworld Image Screengrab