A Potato Flew Around My Room

2014Viral video / misheard lyricclassic

Also known as: Potato Vine · "A Potato Flew Around My Room Before You Came"

A Potato Flew Around My Room" is a 2014 Vine meme born from pg bree's viral misheard lyric of Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You," where "tornado" became "potato," paired with video of a spinning potato on a ceiling fan.

"A Potato Flew Around My Room" is a viral misheard lyric meme from October 2014, born when Vine user pg bree sang Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You" and swapped "tornado" for "potato." The audio clip paired with a video of an actual potato spinning on a ceiling fan turned the accident into one of Vine's biggest hits, racking up millions of loops and spawning over 1,400 tribute videos within two weeks.

misheard lyrics memesvine memesmusic memesmid 2010s memesaccidental fame memes

Overview

The meme centers on a botched cover of Frank Ocean's 2012 R&B track "Thinkin Bout You." The original lyric goes, "A tornado flew around my room before you came / Excuse the mess it made." In pg bree's Vine cover, the word "tornado" came out as "potato," turning a moody R&B line into absurd comedy1. The misheard version stuck instantly. A follow-up Vine showing a real potato dangling from a spinning ceiling fan gave the audio a perfect visual companion, and the combination spread across every major social platform within weeks1.

On October 14, 2014, Vine user pg bree from Louisiana uploaded a short clip of herself singing along to "Thinkin Bout You"2. Instead of the correct lyric, she sang "A potato flew around my room before you came." In the first two weeks, the clip pulled nearly 10 million views, over 169,000 likes, and 147,000 revines on Vine alone2.

Four days later, on October 18, Vine user lil syd from the trap uploaded a video of a real potato tied by a red string to a spinning ceiling fan, set to pg bree's audio1. That clip picked up over 150,000 likes and 144,000 revines within nine days2. The visual was so perfectly matched to the audio that many viewers assumed lil syd was the singer. She had to clarify on her Vine profile: "I'm not the one singing the potato vine"1.

Origin & Background

Platform
Vine
Key People
pg bree, lil syd from the trap
Date
2014

On October 14, 2014, Vine user pg bree from Louisiana uploaded a short clip of herself singing along to "Thinkin Bout You". Instead of the correct lyric, she sang "A potato flew around my room before you came." In the first two weeks, the clip pulled nearly 10 million views, over 169,000 likes, and 147,000 revines on Vine alone.

Four days later, on October 18, Vine user lil syd from the trap uploaded a video of a real potato tied by a red string to a spinning ceiling fan, set to pg bree's audio. That clip picked up over 150,000 likes and 144,000 revines within nine days. The visual was so perfectly matched to the audio that many viewers assumed lil syd was the singer. She had to clarify on her Vine profile: "I'm not the one singing the potato vine".

How It Spread

By late October 2014, both pg bree's and lil syd from the trap's clips had each crossed 14 million loops on Vine. Over 1,400 Vine videos tagged with "a potato flew around" had been uploaded by that point.

On October 23, Viner KingJone$ posted a mashup that dubbed pg bree's potato lyric over the original Frank Ocean studio track. Three days later, Tumblr user "condom" submitted a text post with the misheard lyric that picked up more than 230 notes in its first 24 hours.

The meme quickly jumped platforms. A Google search for "a potato flew around my room" returned over 100,000 results. Fans could follow @potatoflew on Twitter and join a dedicated Facebook page. On Instagram, the hashtag #apotatoflewaroundmyroom collected fan art ranging from potatoes with wings to Princess Anna from Frozen singing the lyric. Even Chucky from Child's Play got the potato treatment.

After Vine shut down, some clips were preserved on YouTube. On November 8, 2014, YouTuber TrendingSound re-uploaded pg bree's original video. The meme also made its way into real life when people wore potatoes on strings around their necks as Halloween costumes that October.

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically works in a few ways:

1

Sing it wrong on purpose. Record yourself singing "a potato flew around my room" over Frank Ocean's beat. The deadpan delivery is what makes it.

2

Make the potato fly. Attach a potato to a ceiling fan, string, or any spinning object, and film it with the audio playing.

3

Illustrate it. Draw or Photoshop potatoes with wings, in tornados, or floating through rooms. Smiling faces on the potato are common.

4

Quote it. Drop "a potato flew around my room before you came" as a standalone phrase in comments, captions, or text posts when the mood strikes.

Cultural Impact

The meme was covered by Modern Farmer in November 2014, which traced the potato varieties appearing in fan art (mostly russets and yellow potatoes) and noted that both varieties are "good for mashing, baking, roasting and, recently, flying". The article speculated about Frank Ocean's reaction, though he never commented publicly.

Urban Dictionary entries for the phrase documented its meaning for a wider audience, defining both the Vine origin and the misheard lyric connection to Frank Ocean. The meme's reach was notable for its speed. In 36 days from pg bree's original post, the clip had accumulated over 218,000 likes, 181,000 revines, and 35,000 comments on Vine alone.

As one of the defining Vine memes of late 2014, the potato clip captured what made the platform special: a six-second accident could become a cultural moment overnight. When Vine died in 2017, "A Potato Flew Around My Room" was among the clips people remembered most fondly from the platform's golden era.

Fun Facts

Lil syd from the trap got so many messages assuming she was the singer that she had to add a disclaimer to her Vine profile.

The two original Vine clips each surpassed 14 million loops, putting them among the platform's most-watched videos of fall 2014.

Modern Farmer identified the potatoes in most fan art as russet and yellow varieties, both of which are recommended for baking, roasting, and (apparently) aviation.

Frank Ocean never publicly acknowledged the potato version of his song.

The original Vine has since been removed, but YouTube reuploads have preserved it.

Derivatives & Variations

Fan art and illustrations:

Artists drew smiling potatoes floating in the air, potatoes with wings of various sizes and colors, and mashups with pop culture characters like Princess Anna from Frozen and Chucky from Child's Play singing the lyric[1].

KingJone$ mashup:

A Vine posted October 23, 2014, that layered pg bree's misheard lyric over Frank Ocean's original studio recording of "Thinkin Bout You"[2].

Halloween costumes:

Fans wore real potatoes hanging on strings around their necks for Halloween 2014[1].

Platform expansions:

A dedicated Twitter account (@potatoflew), a Facebook fan page, and Instagram posts under #apotatoflewaroundmyroom all extended the meme beyond Vine[1].

Frequently Asked Questions

A Potato Flew Around My Room

2014Viral video / misheard lyricclassic

Also known as: Potato Vine · "A Potato Flew Around My Room Before You Came"

A Potato Flew Around My Room" is a 2014 Vine meme born from pg bree's viral misheard lyric of Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You," where "tornado" became "potato," paired with video of a spinning potato on a ceiling fan.

"A Potato Flew Around My Room" is a viral misheard lyric meme from October 2014, born when Vine user pg bree sang Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You" and swapped "tornado" for "potato." The audio clip paired with a video of an actual potato spinning on a ceiling fan turned the accident into one of Vine's biggest hits, racking up millions of loops and spawning over 1,400 tribute videos within two weeks.

misheard lyrics memes vine memes music memes mid 2010s memes accidental fame memes

Overview

The meme centers on a botched cover of Frank Ocean's 2012 R&B track "Thinkin Bout You." The original lyric goes, "A tornado flew around my room before you came / Excuse the mess it made." In pg bree's Vine cover, the word "tornado" came out as "potato," turning a moody R&B line into absurd comedy. The misheard version stuck instantly. A follow-up Vine showing a real potato dangling from a spinning ceiling fan gave the audio a perfect visual companion, and the combination spread across every major social platform within weeks.

On October 14, 2014, Vine user pg bree from Louisiana uploaded a short clip of herself singing along to "Thinkin Bout You". Instead of the correct lyric, she sang "A potato flew around my room before you came." In the first two weeks, the clip pulled nearly 10 million views, over 169,000 likes, and 147,000 revines on Vine alone.

Four days later, on October 18, Vine user lil syd from the trap uploaded a video of a real potato tied by a red string to a spinning ceiling fan, set to pg bree's audio. That clip picked up over 150,000 likes and 144,000 revines within nine days. The visual was so perfectly matched to the audio that many viewers assumed lil syd was the singer. She had to clarify on her Vine profile: "I'm not the one singing the potato vine".

Origin & Background

Platform
Vine
Key People
pg bree, lil syd from the trap
Date
2014

On October 14, 2014, Vine user pg bree from Louisiana uploaded a short clip of herself singing along to "Thinkin Bout You". Instead of the correct lyric, she sang "A potato flew around my room before you came." In the first two weeks, the clip pulled nearly 10 million views, over 169,000 likes, and 147,000 revines on Vine alone.

Four days later, on October 18, Vine user lil syd from the trap uploaded a video of a real potato tied by a red string to a spinning ceiling fan, set to pg bree's audio. That clip picked up over 150,000 likes and 144,000 revines within nine days. The visual was so perfectly matched to the audio that many viewers assumed lil syd was the singer. She had to clarify on her Vine profile: "I'm not the one singing the potato vine".

How It Spread

By late October 2014, both pg bree's and lil syd from the trap's clips had each crossed 14 million loops on Vine. Over 1,400 Vine videos tagged with "a potato flew around" had been uploaded by that point.

On October 23, Viner KingJone$ posted a mashup that dubbed pg bree's potato lyric over the original Frank Ocean studio track. Three days later, Tumblr user "condom" submitted a text post with the misheard lyric that picked up more than 230 notes in its first 24 hours.

The meme quickly jumped platforms. A Google search for "a potato flew around my room" returned over 100,000 results. Fans could follow @potatoflew on Twitter and join a dedicated Facebook page. On Instagram, the hashtag #apotatoflewaroundmyroom collected fan art ranging from potatoes with wings to Princess Anna from Frozen singing the lyric. Even Chucky from Child's Play got the potato treatment.

After Vine shut down, some clips were preserved on YouTube. On November 8, 2014, YouTuber TrendingSound re-uploaded pg bree's original video. The meme also made its way into real life when people wore potatoes on strings around their necks as Halloween costumes that October.

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically works in a few ways:

1

Sing it wrong on purpose. Record yourself singing "a potato flew around my room" over Frank Ocean's beat. The deadpan delivery is what makes it.

2

Make the potato fly. Attach a potato to a ceiling fan, string, or any spinning object, and film it with the audio playing.

3

Illustrate it. Draw or Photoshop potatoes with wings, in tornados, or floating through rooms. Smiling faces on the potato are common.

4

Quote it. Drop "a potato flew around my room before you came" as a standalone phrase in comments, captions, or text posts when the mood strikes.

Cultural Impact

The meme was covered by Modern Farmer in November 2014, which traced the potato varieties appearing in fan art (mostly russets and yellow potatoes) and noted that both varieties are "good for mashing, baking, roasting and, recently, flying". The article speculated about Frank Ocean's reaction, though he never commented publicly.

Urban Dictionary entries for the phrase documented its meaning for a wider audience, defining both the Vine origin and the misheard lyric connection to Frank Ocean. The meme's reach was notable for its speed. In 36 days from pg bree's original post, the clip had accumulated over 218,000 likes, 181,000 revines, and 35,000 comments on Vine alone.

As one of the defining Vine memes of late 2014, the potato clip captured what made the platform special: a six-second accident could become a cultural moment overnight. When Vine died in 2017, "A Potato Flew Around My Room" was among the clips people remembered most fondly from the platform's golden era.

Fun Facts

Lil syd from the trap got so many messages assuming she was the singer that she had to add a disclaimer to her Vine profile.

The two original Vine clips each surpassed 14 million loops, putting them among the platform's most-watched videos of fall 2014.

Modern Farmer identified the potatoes in most fan art as russet and yellow varieties, both of which are recommended for baking, roasting, and (apparently) aviation.

Frank Ocean never publicly acknowledged the potato version of his song.

The original Vine has since been removed, but YouTube reuploads have preserved it.

Derivatives & Variations

Fan art and illustrations:

Artists drew smiling potatoes floating in the air, potatoes with wings of various sizes and colors, and mashups with pop culture characters like Princess Anna from Frozen and Chucky from Child's Play singing the lyric[1].

KingJone$ mashup:

A Vine posted October 23, 2014, that layered pg bree's misheard lyric over Frank Ocean's original studio recording of "Thinkin Bout You"[2].

Halloween costumes:

Fans wore real potatoes hanging on strings around their necks for Halloween 2014[1].

Platform expansions:

A dedicated Twitter account (@potatoflew), a Facebook fan page, and Instagram posts under #apotatoflewaroundmyroom all extended the meme beyond Vine[1].

Frequently Asked Questions