It happens every single time. You roll over on the morning of the 1st, grab your phone with one eye open, and scroll through whatever social feed you prefer. Without fail, there he is. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony starts blasting through your speakers, or maybe it’s a slowed-down TikTok edit of the same track. Wake up wake up its the first of the month isn’t just a lyric anymore. Honestly, it’s a digital ritual. It’s the unofficial anthem of the "new month, new me" crowd, the rent-is-due crowd, and the nostalgia-tripping Millennials all rolled into one weird, persistent internet phenomenon.
Most people don’t even realize the song is over thirty years old. "1st of the Month" dropped in 1995 on the legendary E. 1999 Eternal album. It was a massive hit then, but nobody back in the mid-90s could have predicted that a song about Cleveland welfare checks would become a global meme used to celebrate everything from gym goals to payday. It’s funny how culture digests things. The grit of the original track has been polished into a 24-hour celebration of a fresh start.
The Origins of a Cultural Reset
To understand why everyone screams wake up wake up its the first of the month, you have to look at what Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were actually talking about. They weren't talking about "manifesting" or "main character energy." The track was a vivid, melodic depiction of life in Cleveland. It was about "Welfare Wednesday." In the 90s, the first of the month was the day government assistance checks arrived, providing a brief moment of financial relief and a reason to celebrate in neighborhoods that were struggling.
Krayzie Bone once explained in an interview that the energy on the street literally changed on that day. People were out. They were buying groceries, sure, but they were also partying because, for a second, the pressure was off. When Bizzy Bone high-pitched-shouts that opening line, he’s capturing a specific kind of relief.
We’ve seen this happen with other songs, but rarely with this kind of longevity. Think about it. Most memes die in three months. This one has survived the transition from Vine to Instagram to TikTok. It's basically the "All I Want for Christmas Is You" of the first day of the month. It creates a weird sense of community. You see the post, you know the vibe, and you keep scrolling. It’s a shared clock-in for the entire internet.
Why the Meme Refuses to Die
Psychologically, humans love a "fresh start." Researchers call it the Fresh Start Effect. A study from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School suggests that people are way more likely to take action on their goals at natural "temporal landmarks" like the beginning of a week, month, or year. Wake up wake up its the first of the month provides the perfect soundtrack for that psychological pivot.
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It’s also about the rhythm. The "lazy" flow of the song—that signature midwest double-time—is incredibly catchy. It fits perfectly into the 15-second loop format of modern social media.
- It’s nostalgic for Gen X and Millennials.
- It’s ironic for Gen Z.
- It’s functional for influencers who need easy engagement.
If you’re a creator, you know that posting this sound on the first is basically a cheat code for the algorithm. It’s predictable. It’s safe. And people love hitting that like button as a way of saying, "Yeah, I'm awake, I'm here, let's get this month over with."
The Evolution from Radio to Reel
Back in '95, you had to wait for the DJ to spin this on the radio. Now, the song has been chopped, screwed, sped up, and layered over everything from cat videos to stock market updates. When the first of the month falls on a weekend? Forget about it. The volume doubles.
There’s a specific irony in how the song is used now. You’ll see a fitness influencer using the track to show off their 5:00 AM workout routine. The original song mentioned "smoking on some endo" and "sipping on some 40s." The disconnect is hilarious, but that’s exactly how memes work. They strip the original context and replace it with whatever the current user wants it to mean.
The Business of the First
Believe it or not, there's a financial spike associated with this phrase. Stream counts for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony skyrocket every 30 to 31 days. According to data from various streaming platforms, "1st of the Month" sees a massive percentage increase in plays compared to the last day of the previous month. It’s a recurring revenue stream that most artists would kill for.
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It’s not just the music industry either. Brands have started jumping on the trend. You’ll see Starbucks or Target or some random insurance company tweeting some variation of wake up wake up its the first of the month. It’s a bit "how do you do, fellow kids," but it works because the phrase is so deeply embedded in our collective consciousness.
Does it actually help productivity?
Probably not. Let’s be real. Listening to a song doesn’t magically make you more productive. But the ritual matters. We live in a world that feels increasingly chaotic and untethered. Having these little digital milestones—like the "It's Gonna Be May" meme for Justin Timberlake or the Bone Thugs ritual—gives us a sense of order.
It’s a collective deep breath.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
A lot of people think the song is just about partying. It's not. If you actually listen to the verses by Wish, Layzie, Krayzie, and Bizzy, there’s a lot of talk about the "Po-Po" and the grind of everyday life. It’s a survival song disguised as a party anthem.
Another weird thing? People often misquote it. They think the lyrics are "Wake up, wake up, it's the first of the month, get up, get up." It’s actually closer to "Wake up, wake up, wake up, it's the first of the month / To the sounds of the benos and the sluggs / No, it's the first of the month." The "get up" part is just what our brains want it to be because it fits the motivational vibe we’ve projected onto it.
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How to Lean Into the Energy
If you actually want to use that wake up wake up its the first of the month energy to do something besides scroll, you should probably look at your finances or your calendar. In the spirit of the original song, the first of the month is a day of reckoning and renewal.
- Check your subscriptions. This is the day all those $9.99 charges hit.
- Clear your inbox. Start the month with a clean slate.
- Audit your goals. If you didn't do what you said you'd do last month, today is the day to restart without the guilt.
- Listen to the full album. Seriously. E. 1999 Eternal is a masterpiece of production. DJ U-Neek created a dark, atmospheric sound that still sounds futuristic today.
The reality is that wake up wake up its the first of the month is going to keep happening. As long as there are months and as long as there is an internet, Bizzy Bone will be there to wake us up. It’s a rare piece of culture that managed to stay relevant by being both a great song and a perfect punchline.
So, next time the calendar flips, don't just roll your eyes at the memes. Lean into it. There’s something kinda nice about knowing that millions of other people are hearing that same melody in their heads at the exact same time. It’s the closest thing we have to a global alarm clock.
Next Steps for Your Fresh Start:
- Audit your recurring monthly payments to ensure you aren't being billed for services you no longer use, mirroring the financial "reset" the song originally celebrated.
- Set one "non-negotiable" goal for the next 30 days. Research shows that focusing on a single habit at a "temporal landmark" increases the success rate by over 40%.
- Dive into the history of Midwest Hip-Hop to appreciate the social context of the track beyond the meme, specifically looking at the influence of Eazy-E on the group's early career.