This week’s sound is from a musical, which doesn’t happen that often on TikTok. It’s an endearing, sweet song. And of course it’s now being used to document all the weird stuff our pets do.
Look at my son: The sound
The sound is of someone singing, “Look at my son. Pride is not the word I’m looking for.”
On Sept. 30, the account thelifeofdougdoug posted a video with the sound, showing a ginger cat getting butt pats and ending up in a handstand.
That sound has been used in more than 5,700 TikToks, and applied largely to the curious and baffling things our pets do.
There were several examples of orange cat behavior, dogsin the zone, and a truly cinematic kitty topple. But this audio is applied lovingly, and pet videos pretty much dominate the sound.
Where’s it from?
It’s a line from the song “Dear Theodosia,” from the 2015 musical Hamilton. The song is sung by both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr., but Miranda’s line is the one being used on TikTok. (Miranda also became a TikTok meme in 2020.)
Some accounts have used the longer audio, which goes: “My son, look at my son/Pride is not the word I’m looking for/There is so much more inside me now.”
There’s an official version of “Dear Theodosia” on TikTok, which has been used in more than 61,000 videos. It’s also dominated by videos of pets engaging in “smooth-brain” activities, and even more orange cat behavior.
But some TikToks of actual sons are also included. And a verified Smashing Pumpkins TikTok account used the sound as well.
Sound off
“Dear Theodosia” is sung by Odom, who plays Aaron Burr, and Miranda, who plays Alexander Hamilton. It’s a song about contemplating fatherhood, and wanting a better future for their children than the childhoods they had.
Despite Hamilton being a bit cringe now, it’s still a thoughtful song. But, this being TikTok, the song is now synonymous with “no thoughts, just vibes.”
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