Song of The Week: ‘Bazooka,’ From Memes to Therapy

“Kaboom. Kablaow. Kaboom. Rest in peace my granny. She got hit by a bazooka.” So in just a few weeks, “Bazooka” has established itself as one of the most durable meme records of the year. When I first heard it, I wasn’t sure if this was the purest distillation of cross-generational trauma that I’d heard in a pop song in a long time, or if it was just jokes. So whatever the actual answer to that is, it was quickly taken up as a comic meme. “Grandma what happened.” “I got hit by a bazooka.” There are endless remixes, new versions, alternate takes that have been popping up, seemingly every day. I’m talking Indian classical. I’m talking Midwest emo. I’m talking John Williams-style orchestral score. I’m talking a cappella. I’m talking Grateful Dead. So this is a song that lends itself really well to exaggerated reaction. You have these really ethereal, soothing synths that kind of provide a bed for the record, but underneath, there’s this nervous, skittish drum pattern that kind of feels like it’s grabbing you. And of course, there’s the hook. It’s hard to hear this hook and not laugh a little bit. It’s hard to hear this hook and not feel a little bit of sadness about something that you might have gone through, and it’s hard to hear this hook and not sing along. “Kaboom. Kablaow.” In that way, it reminds me a little bit of SahBabii’s “Pull Up wit ah Stick.” Really, really dark subject matter. But there’s something about the sweetness of a melody in his voice that left you in this kind of confused, torn state. And then, naturally, it’s hard not to think of One of the things I like so much about the high memeification of this song is that it’s created another viral star. Let’s talk about DancingBones07, a Navy veteran who does these kind of interpretive, highly expressive, lot of motion dance videos. Sometimes offbeat. I watch his videos, and I think a lot about people who use dance or comedy or music as a way of dealing with pain. When you watch him, you see there’s something inside that’s really, really needing to get out. There are people who are seeing “Bazooka” as music. There are people who are seeing “Bazooka” as comedy. There are people who are seeing “Bazooka” as dance. But I actually think everybody is seeing it as therapy. I’m going to put some of my own life through. You owe it to your friend. This feels like I have you share my heart. It’s terrifying, but I’m doing this. I love my song. But I keep trying to be. Every time I kiss it. Maybe I can do the song of breaking down. Hey. Let me, let me. I’ve been confused as of late. Yeah, but you mind. You step away. You’re like. You wake me up but you drive me up. One of the things I enjoyed the most about the high meme ification of bazooka is that it actually created another viral stock, dancing bonds. Oh seven bazooka has become something of a muse for him. In that way, it reminds me a little bit of saw babies pull up with a stick. Really, really dark subject matter. But there’s something about the sweetness of a melody in his voice that left you in this kind of confused, torn state. Who? That is what that was. Oh. That. Crazy. Oh, shit. What a fuck that a wit. What the fuck? They had a where the fuck you on the beach? Every time I close my eyes, I’m drunk. He’s about that place. Every time I close my eyes, I think about how they did. You quit? I don’t know what you want me to go. You’re gonna fly. You’re gonna die. Cruel homicide. When I think about you, if you decide to go, I want you. Don’t rest in peace, my granny. She got hit by a bazooka. Yeah, I think about it every time I hit the hook of kaboom could blow kaboom. I was in my room trying to teach my little sister. Then I heard her. For me, this sounded like a missile. Whoo!