1 2 Oatmeal
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.
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.
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.
Origin & Background
How It Spread
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 clip.
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 loses.
mariofan888 uploaded the instrumental "Gourmet Race" track a full year before writing lyrics for it.
The song describes an actual plot point from *Kirby Super Star*: Meta Knight helping Kirby defeat King Dedede.
SimpleFlips' community adopted the song so thoroughly that the phrase "1, 2 Oatmeal" became synonymous with chaotic stream donations in his chat.
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)
- 1Wilford Brimleyencyclopedia
- 21, 2 Oatmeal - Urban Dictionarydictionary
- 31, 2 Oatmeal - Know Your Memeencyclopedia