1 2 Oatmeal — A clean 3D render of Kirby, the pink puffball protagonist, smiling with an open mouth and blue eyes.

1 2 Oatmeal

2010Viral song / music parodysemi-active

Published April 6, 2026

Also known as: 1 2 Haferbrei · Eins Zwei Haferbrei · One Two Oatmeal

1, 2 Oatmeal is a comedic song parody set to the "Gourmet Race" theme from the 1996 video game *Kirby Super Star*. The German original, titled "1 2 Haferbrei," was uploaded to YouTube in 2010 by mariofan888, with an English translation following in 20112. The song picked up a second life in 2017 when Twitch streamer SimpleFlips reacted to it live on stream, and the clip's confused, delighted energy turned the track into a recurring joke across YouTube and Twitch communities1.

parody song memes nintendo memes video game music memes streamer memes delayed virality memes

Overview

1, 2 Oatmeal is a fan-made song built on top of the "Gourmet Race" instrumental from *Kirby Super Star*, a 1996 Nintendo game scored by composer Jun Ishikawa1. The lyrics describe Kirby as "a pink guy" who inhales enemies and, with Meta Knight's help, defeats King Dedede3. The title phrase works as a rhyme in the original German: "eins, zwei, Haferbrei" (one, two, oatmeal/porridge), where "zwei" and "Haferbrei" form a clean couplet3. The English translation keeps the "1, 2, Oatmeal" hook but sacrifices much of the lyrical sense, producing lines that sound charmingly garbled to English speakers. That accidental absurdity is the whole appeal.

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube
Key People
mariofan888, けんしん / Kenshin, SimpleFlips
Date
2010

On March 21, 1996, *Kirby Super Star* launched in Japan, featuring the "Gourmet Race" sub-game and its now-iconic theme composed by Jun Ishikawa1.

YouTuber mariofan888 first uploaded the "Gourmet Race" music under the title "Kirby's Titlemusic" on June 16, 2009, collecting over 19,000 views1. About a year and a half later, on November 27, 2010, mariofan888 posted the German-language parody "1 2 Haferbrei," setting original lyrics about Kirby to the same melody1. That video picked up more than 291,000 views over the following years1.

On June 3, 2011, YouTuber けんしん (Kenshin) uploaded an English-language version of the song3. The translation was rough and often hard to follow, which only added to its oddball charm. Kenshin's video gathered over 175,000 views1.

How It Spread

The song sat relatively quiet for several years until Twitch streamer and YouTuber SimpleFlips encountered it on September 6, 2017, when a viewer requested it during a livestream1. SimpleFlips' reaction, a mix of confusion and laughter at the nearly unintelligible English lyrics, struck a chord with his audience3.

Two days earlier, on September 9, 2017, YouTuber ben3759 had posted an extended version of the track, which earned around 2,900 views in its first four months1. On November 25, 2017, YouTuber AutisticYui created a Steamed Hams replacement remix using the song, racking up over 1,800 views and tying the meme into the broader "Steamed Hams" remix trend1.

The song's biggest visibility boost came on January 23, 2018, when SimpleFlips uploaded a video titled "The Truth Behind 1 2 Oatmeal (Hilarious Song Request)." In it, a Twitch viewer named Complex Rolls requests the song, leading to another memorable on-stream reaction1. That video pulled in more than 40,000 views within three weeks1.

The song became a running gag in SimpleFlips' community and spread through YouTube Poop remixes and music edits3. Urban Dictionary entries describe it as "the best song ever," with users quoting the chorus line "Kirby is a pink guy" as a standalone punchline3.

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically works in a few ways:

- Donation trolling / stream requests: Viewers request the song during livestreams to get a confused reaction from the streamer, following the SimpleFlips template. - Remix and YouTube Poop: Creators splice the vocals into other songs, replace dialogue in cartoons with "1, 2, Oatmeal" lyrics, or loop specific lines for comedic effect. - Quote-posting: Dropping the line "Kirby is a pink guy" or the full "1, 2, Oatmeal" chorus into comment sections or chats, often with no context. - Steamed Hams-style substitution: Replacing audio in well-known scenes or meme formats with the Oatmeal track, as AutisticYui did with the Simpsons clip1.

The humor comes from the song's catchy melody clashing with its garbled English translation. The less sense it makes, the funnier it lands.

Fun Facts

The rhyme scheme only works in German. "Zwei" (two) rhymes with "Haferbrei" (oatmeal/porridge), giving the title its catchy flow that the English version completely loses3.

mariofan888 uploaded the instrumental "Gourmet Race" track a full year before writing lyrics for it1.

The song describes an actual plot point from *Kirby Super Star*: Meta Knight helping Kirby defeat King Dedede3.

SimpleFlips' community adopted the song so thoroughly that the phrase "1, 2 Oatmeal" became synonymous with chaotic stream donations in his chat3.

Derivatives & Variations

Steamed Hams x 1, 2 Oatmeal

— AutisticYui's November 2017 mashup replaced the Steamed Hams audio with the Oatmeal song, blending two active meme formats[1].

Extended mixes

— ben3759 and others created longer versions of the track for loop listening[1].

SimpleFlips reaction compilations

— Clips of SimpleFlips hearing the song were repackaged into highlight reels and "best moments" videos across YouTube[1].

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

  1. 1
    Wilford Brimleyencyclopedia
  2. 2
    1, 2 Oatmeal - Urban Dictionarydictionary
  3. 3
    1, 2 Oatmeal - Know Your Memeencyclopedia