The song „Dumb Ways to Die“ was originally composed in 2012 for a Metro safety campaign in Melbourne, Australia.
Dumb Ways to Die: TikTok
In 2023, the song „Dumb Ways to Die“ became more popular and a meme again on social media, especially on TikTok.
TikTok users used the sung words „Dumb Ways to Die“ to jokingly comment on stupid, recklessly risky, and self-dangerous behavior.
Dumb Ways to Die: song, history, origins.
The original „Dumb Ways To Die“ campaign (yes, it’s really called that!) aimed to alert train riders or people waiting for the Metro to dangers on the platform. Among other things, the campaign pointed out not to stand too close to the edge of the platform, not to walk across the tracks, and to watch out for the pull of an incoming train.
The eponymous music video „Dumb Ways To Die“ was released on YouTube on November 15, 2012. To date (February 2023), it has received over 255 million views. The music video went viral a short time later.
In 2013, the song „Dumb Ways To Die“ ranked as the highest on the iTunes chart, sixth.
In the music video for „Dumb Ways To Die,“ various animated characters can be seen brutally dying. However, the vocals and music do not reflect this brutality, but are quite melodic and relaxed. The animation style is also rather childlike and harmless. This contrast is one of the reasons why „Dumb Ways To Die“ is still interesting today.
In 2013, an app of the same name with various mini-games was released. Two sequels followed, „Dumb Ways To Die 2“ and „Dumb Ways To Die 3.“ The app „Dumb Ways to Draw“ was released in 2019.
The TikTok page of „Dumb Ways To Die“ has over 2.7 million followers. (As of February 2023)
„Dumb Ways To Die“: deaths of the characters
The first character was blue and lit his own hair on fire.
The second character was yellow and proclaimed a grizzly bear with a stick. The grizzly bear then simply bit off a piece of figure.
The third figure was green and ate expired medicine, causing a severe bump.
The fourth figure was bathing in a lake full of piranhas. These ate the lower body (including legs) of the person.
The fifth figure, she was purple, plugged a cord into her toaster and was electrocuted.
The sixth figure (blue) laid her own electric cables at home, which resulted in a short circuit and fire.
The seventh character (green) taught herself to fly and suffered a crash landing.
The eighth character (blue) ate a two-week-old unrefrigerated cake and threw up.
In the ninth situation, someone let a psycho killer into his house.
In the tenth situation, someone scratched a drug dealer’s car.
In the eleventh situation, someone in space (outside the spaceship) took off his helmet. (This would cause all air to be expelled from the lungs and the alveoli to burst).
In the twelfth situation, a purple person was hiding in a clothes dryer.
The 13th person was bitten by his pet rattlesnake.
The 14th person (blue) sold her two kidneys over the Internet.
The 15th person (brown) ate a tube of super glue / superglue.
The 16th person (yellow) pressed a red button and set off an explosion.
The 17th person (green) dressed up as a moose, during hunting season. Holes were shot into them.
The 18th person (orange) played with a wasp nest for fun.
The 19th person (pink) stood on the edge of the platform and fell down.
The 20th person (green) went around a closed railroad crossing and was hit by a train.
The 21st person (purple) ran across the platform tracks.
Who was singing „Dumb Ways To Die“?
„Dumb Ways To Die“ was sung by Emily Lubitz. She is also part of the Australian indie folk band „Tinpan Orange.“
The music for „Dumb Ways To Die“ was composed by Ollie McGill. He is part of the Australian band „The Cat Empire,“ among others.
The animations were done by Julian Frost. The producer was Cinnamon Darvall.
The McCann advertising agency was responsible for the marketing campaign.
More about „Dumb Ways To Die“
„Dumb Ways To Die“ won the Webby Award in 2013.
In 2013, „Dumb Ways To Die“ was the winner of the 60th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The following parodies of „Dumb Ways To Die“ have been released: Game of Thonres, Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, The Walking Dead, Squid Game and more.
The opposite of Dumb Ways To Die is Smart Ways To Live.