MA Folk Singer's Silly Potato Anthem Deserves to Be a Viral Hit

The Internet has blessed us with some pretty sweet earworms over the years. "Gangnam Style" by Psy comes to mind. "Baby Shark" captivated kids and adults alike. And what is there to say about "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" that hasn't already been said?

These songs are Hall of Famers. They've also been played to death.

It's time for a new tune to take the viral reigns.

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Behold this wondrous number all about the nation's favorite starch, potatoes. The best part? It's written and performed by celebrated Massachusetts folk artist Cheryl Wheeler.

The longtime Swansea resident is known for her mix of heartfelt and downright silly songs. This one is obviously in the latter category. Wheeler, 72, has been known to end concerts with it, encouraging audience singalongs.

Listen and try not to smile.

Inspiration for Cheryl Wheeler's 'Potato' Song

If the melody sounds familiar, it's taken from "Jarabe Tapatio," more widely known as the Mexican hat dance.

So, how did we get here?

Minds tend to wander on long walks, as was the case for Wheeler one day as she inexplicably started singing the song with only "potato" making up the chorus ... over and over and over again.

The song wasn't born as the perfect anthem we hear today. For example, Wheeler was bothered that the chorus always ended in the middle of "potato" instead of neatly upon completion of the word. Hey, that would bother anybody.

"I had to get it to end right," she told an audience in 2008. "So, I thought, as long as I'm fiddling with it, let's see if I can have each of the three syllables in 'potato' get to have the chance to be the first syllable, while always maintaining the proper order of syllables and ending correctly on 'TO' as opposed to 'TAY' or 'PO.'"

She added: "It was a long walk."

Cheryl Wheeler's Folk Music Career

Wheeler started performing as a young girl in her native Timonium, Maryland. She moved to Providence in the 1970s and New England has been her home base ever since. She has enjoyed a successful folk music career for just as long, releasing critically acclaimed albums, touring the United States and writing songs that have been covered by Garth Brooks and Bette Midler, among other powerhouses.

Unlike "Potato," Wheeler's other songs include original and soul-stirring melodies. "When Fall Comes to New England" sounds like an earnest love letter to Swansea and the SouthCoast. "Real November Sky" is about taking in the beauty at Horseneck Beach in Westport, which Wheeler has described as her favorite place. "My Cat's Birthday" is, well, self-explanatory.

Wheeler was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2014 and has many other accolades.

One thing she doesn't have yet is a viral hit.

Spud do you say, TikTokers? It's time we dust the dirt off "Potato" and make it happen.

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Source: Swansea Singer’s Silly Potato Anthem Deserves to Be Next Viral Hit

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