Words by Marcha M. Johnson—
Bunji Garlin’s 2013 Carnival smash “Differentology” has become a household hit in the Caribbean, credited with reviving the international appeal of soca. It’s been featured on Grey’s Anatomy, was a strong contender for MTV Iggy’s Song of the Year, and won the 2013 Soul Train Award for Best International Performance. Bunji even got to perform it with the Tonight Show‘s new house band, The Roots!
But what would be a monumental West Indian cultural feat without some good old West Indian humor to poke fun at it? Amidst all the praise and accolades, one misheard line has become (in Trinidad, at least) a viral phenomenon.
The lyrics “and the crowd now waking up,” which set the tone for the song, happened to be misheard by many as “and de cow now wakin up” sparking a wave of criticism, from those who could not believe the absurdity of the misunderstanding, along with its fair share of picong in the form of Facebook statuses and memes, and parody videos. Facebook and Twitter accounts parodying the misconception even popped up.
D Cow’s hold on soca hasn’t stopped there. With the help of Trinidadian Youtuber, DJ Righteous, the now infamous cows who displaced the crowd in 2013 have made it into 2014. The victim? None other than Garlin’s monster hit and Jus Now production, “Truck on d Road”. This time, however, instead of trucks, there are now cows on the road. The parody video alternates between of shots of a stone-faced DJ Righteous performing his lyrically re worked version of the tune (adopting Garlin’s mannerisms an’ all) with shots of cows in a farm and, of course, on d road.