You remember the pink room. The purple dress. The braces.
Jimmy Fallon, dressed as a teenage girl named Sara (that’s S-A-R-A with no H, because H's are ew), sitting on a basement couch. It started as a goofy sketch on The Tonight Show, but it morphed into a legitimate Billboard Hot 100 hit. Honestly, the ew lyrics jimmy fallon wrote with will.i.am are a bizarre time capsule of 2014 internet culture.
The Night the Ew Lyrics Jimmy Fallon Wrote Went Viral
It’s easy to forget that "Ew!" wasn’t just a funny bit. It was a calculated pop culture moment. Back in July 2014, will.i.am told Jimmy backstage that he was obsessed with the sketch. Most people would just say "cool, thanks." Jimmy said, "Let's make a song."
Three days later? Will sends over a finished instrumental.
Jimmy and his writers—guys like Gerard Bradford and Mike DiCenzo—scrambled to turn teen-girl angst into rap bars. They recorded it in a local New York studio, and by October, the music video premiered. It didn't just sit on YouTube. It debuted at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Let that sink in. A man in a wig complaining about ravioli beat out actual professional musicians that week.
What’s Actually in the Lyrics?
The song is basically a checklist of things that make a middle-schooler’s skin crawl. You've got the classic opening:
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"Seriously? Look at her butt (Ew!) / Oh, she looks like a slut (Ew!) / I'm like 'what the what?' (Ew!)"
It’s snarky. It’s "basically basic." But the genius—if you can call it that—is in the specific, weirdly relatable gripes. The lyrics target things like:
- Duck lips: A staple of the 2014 selfie era.
- Bread bowls: Apparently, carbs in a bowl shape are a dealbreaker for Sara.
- Roly-poly caterpillars: Specifically on "old and moldy windowsills."
- Trapper Keepers: A throwback that felt slightly dated even then.
- Stepdad Gary: Played by A.D. Miles, Gary is the ultimate antagonist. He’s just a guy trying to be "funky," and to Sara, his existence is the definition of ew.
Why We Are Still Talking About These Lyrics
The ew lyrics jimmy fallon popularized didn't just stay in that one song. The "Ew!" sketch became a rite of passage for celebrities. If you were a big star, you had to put on a dress and act like a disgusted 13-year-old.
Ariana Grande did it. Taylor Swift did it (as Natalie, who likes building forts). Even Michelle Obama showed up to promote her "Let’s Move" initiative, proving that even the First Lady wasn't immune to the power of a well-placed "ew."
The TikTok Second Life
Fast forward to 2021. A cover of the song by a then-10-year-old rapper named Baby Kaely exploded on TikTok. The lyric "Hello, my name is Zuzie, that's Suzie with a Z" became a massive trend. Millions of people were using the audio without even realizing it was a decade-old Jimmy Fallon parody.
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It’s that "earworm" quality. Will.i.am knows how to produce a beat that sticks. The repetition of the word "ew" acts like a rhythmic hook. It's simple. It's catchy. It's annoying. It's perfect for the internet.
Breaking Down the "mir.i.am" Verse
Will.i.am’s verse is a masterpiece of nonsense. He plays "mir.i.am," Sara’s friend with headgear. He raps about "impleggies"—which he clarifies are butt implants. He complains about reclining in airplane seats and "Vining."
Remember Vine?
The lyrics mention Vining and retweeting tweets. It’s a digital graveyard of dead or dying platforms. Yet, the energy of the track keeps it feeling oddly current. It taps into that universal feeling of being a teenager and finding everything embarrassing.
Expert Take: The Satire vs. The Stereotype
Critics like Jim Farber of the New York Daily News called the song "mildly amusing" but felt the writing could have been sharper. There’s also been a fair amount of discussion about whether the sketch is punching down. Is it just making fun of teenage girls?
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Kinda.
But most fans see it as a parody of the performance of being a teen. The "Valley Girl" trope has been around since the 80s, and Fallon just updated it for the iPhone era. The humor doesn't come from hating girls; it comes from the absurdity of the extreme disgust. When you're 13, a "moldy windowsill" really can feel like the end of the world.
How to Use This in Your Own Content
If you’re trying to capture that same "viral" energy, there are a few takeaways from the "Ew!" phenomenon:
- Niche Specificity: Don’t just say things are gross. Say "ravioli casserole" is gross. The more specific the detail, the funnier it is.
- Visual Branding: The pink room and the specific costumes made the sketch instantly recognizable.
- Collaborate Early: Jimmy didn't wait. He saw the opportunity with will.i.am and moved.
The next time you hear someone say "what the what," you’ll know exactly where it came from. Whether you love it or think it’s "super lame," the ew lyrics jimmy fallon gave the world are a permanent part of the late-night comedy Hall of Fame.
To really get the full experience, you should go back and watch the Ariana Grande "sing-off" version. It’s arguably the peak of the series, showing off her actual vocal range while she's wearing a ponytail and a floral dress. It reminds you that the best parodies are the ones where the performers are fully committed to the bit.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators:
- Check the Credits: Notice how many writers it takes to make a "simple" comedy song. It's a team effort.
- Identify Trends: Look at how TikTok revives old content. If you're a creator, dig into the "vault" of 2010s hits for soundbite potential.
- Embrace the Absurd: Sometimes the most "basic" ideas—like a grown man playing a teenage girl—are the ones that resonate most because they don't take themselves seriously.