The Story Behind The Coffin Dance Meme: How Ghanaian Pallbearers Danced Into Meme History
The Coffin Dance meme, in which Ghanaian pallbearers dance to an EDM beat, took moments of failure and created a worldwide celebration of irony out of them.
From epic fails to doom-scrolling, the Coffin Dance’s vibrant energy and dark humor are undeniably infectious, propelling it to meme of the year in 2020.
Grumpy Sharks chronicles its origins and viral explosion and reasons why the Coffin Dance will be an enduring reminder of how life’s most surprising twists are never far away.
1. What Is the Coffin Dance Meme?
What does the meme show and how is it used?
The Coffin Dance meme features a group of pallbearers from Ghana that are suited up in sharp black suits who danced with a coffin.
It is often paired with a song called “Astronomia” by Tony Igy, and it is used as a punchline after videos that show near-disasters, fails, or generally risky moves to represent a comedic “game over.”
It is a playful way for the internet to laugh at people’s fleeting moments of success.
Is this the most iconic “you’re done for” meme of all time?
Arguably, yes. The meme’s infectious music and joyful dance clash brilliantly with moments of catastrophe, creating a perfect storm of irony.
Its ability to turn tragedy into a party sets it apart as the ultimate “you’re toast” meme.
2. Where Did the Coffin Dance Meme Come From?
Ghanaian pallbearer tradition
In Ghana, many funerals will involve something called a “pallbearer,” where professional pallbearers will perform dances to portray honor and celebrate the life of the person who has died, turning solemnity into fun.
As noted in this article from BBC News in 2017, the customs in Ghana change the incredibly heavy experience of a funeral into a vibrant celebration that promotes life as opposed to sorrow.
Who filmed it and how it went viral
The earliest of the three most notable videos tied to the trend was posted on YouTube by Travelin Sister on January 22, 2015, showcasing Ghana’s unique dancing pallbearer tradition.
It amassed over 2.9 million views in five years. Another key video, a BBC News Africa report, was uploaded on July 27, 2017, and garnered more than 681,000 views in three years.
3. The Meme Format and How It Works
Video Setup Structure
The format is very simple, yet very effective: The first clip shows someone that is on the verge of some kind of disaster—like a skateboarder trying to dangerous jump—then abruptly cuts to the coffinh carriers dancing to “Astronomia.”
The cut is so severe that it, in essence says, “You’re done,” with dark humor attached.
Meme Remixes and Editing Style
The editors maximize the humor by adding slow zooms, dramatic freeze frames, and captions such as “When you think you have it, but…”
It also adds to the montages of fail compilations, gaming montages, and animated shorts, and makes every fail a possible dance moment.
4. Why the Coffin Dance Meme Went Viral
Pandemic-era meme boom
The meme peaked in 2020, providing a shot of absurdity during dark days of lockdown.
Its light take on incompetence aligned with TikTok and WhatsApp, allowing people to escape their heavy reality, which The New York Times also discussed.
Tragedy meets celebration
The humor lies in the tonal dissonance of the meme – it opens on a somber note, only to be followed by a buoyant dance routine.
The contrast of mixing Ghanaian funeral traditions with internet irony makes it incredibly funny and troublingly cheerful.
5. Where the Meme Thrived Online
Platform Spread
On TikTok, users were creating POV fail videos in which the dance was paired with personal fails or bad choices.
YouTube had epic fail compilations, covering topics ranging from sports fails to gaming deaths.
Reddit’s r/funny and r/instant_regret communities used it for instant karma-based moments, solidifying its reign across platforms.
Audience and Usage
Gamers, Gen Z pranksters, and fans of dark humor sustained the meme, remixing it for everything imaginable, from relational fails to political and societal missteps.
The meme’s universal status made it a meme style that meme creators around the world preferred.
6. Symbolism and Meaning in the Meme
Metaphor for Life’s Unexpected Turns
The Coffin Dance meme encapsulates the fragility of life—plans fall apart, risk-taking has consequences.
The meme adds a visual metaphor for life’s cruel unpredictability, allowing an epic fail to be turned into an international joke, with a Ghanaian flavor to boot.
Is this meme a dance between life and digital death?
Yes. By celebrating failure with a festive dance, it pokes fun at our overconfidence, reminding us that life’s curveballs can hit at any moment. It’s a cheeky nod to digital doom.
7. Will the Coffin Dance Meme Be Remembered?
Long-term meme relevance
Even many months later, the meme is still relevant as a way to presentations of fail videos, and for anniversary tributes to an event that ended badly, especially when new examples of fail videos or game updates come in and provoke further edits.
Its wide audience appeal will ensure that it does not disappear for a while longer.
Ranking among global meme icons
The Coffin Dance stands next to “Rickroll” for its ability to surprise us all, “Distracted Boyfriend” for its relatability, and “Sad Keanu” for its emotive or evocative elements.
Premature cultural crossover makes it a meme hall-of-famer.
Conclusion
The Coffin Dance meme, which began as a Ghanaian funeral custom and transformed into an international internet phenomenon, converted failure into a celebration.
The Coffin Dance had a clever combination of dark humor, a catchy song, and a good dance move, which thrilled everyone globally during difficult times.
Grumpy Sharks says a big thank you to the Ghanaian pallbearers for dancing their way into meme history and showing the world that even when life’s flops are the biggest, you can still throw a worldwide party.
