# Ah Shit Here We Go Again > Ah Shit Here We Go Again is a 2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas catchphrase by Carl Johnson that exploded as a remixable reaction meme in 2019, expressing internet weary frustration at repeating unwanted situations. "Ah Shit, Here We Go Again" is a catchphrase and reaction meme from the 2004 video game *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas*, spoken by protagonist Carl "CJ" Johnson at the start of the game. The line sat dormant for over a decade before exploding online in 2019 after a green screen edit made it endlessly remixable. It's now one of the internet's go-to expressions for weary frustration at repeating an unwanted experience. ## Origin *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas* launched on October 24, 2004, developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games[4]. The game follows Carl "CJ" Johnson, voiced by rapper Young Maylay, who returns to the fictional city of Los Santos for his mother's funeral[6]. Right after the opening cutscene, corrupt C.R.A.S.H. officers Tenpenny (Samuel L. Jackson) and Pulaski (Chris Penn) intercept CJ and dump him in Ballas gang territory[3]. CJ stands up, surveys the hostile neighborhood, and delivers the line: "Ah shit, here we go again. Worst place in the world, Rolling Heights Ballas country."[1] The line wasn't written to be funny. Young Maylay recorded it to sound defeated, with a specific drop in pitch at the end that signals total acceptance of a bad situation[2]. For years, it was just a nostalgic moment for gamers who'd played through the opening. - **Platform:** *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas* (source material), Twitter (viral meme format) - **Creator:** Rockstar North (game developer), Young Maylay (voice actor for CJ), @ChaoticGeekCG (green screen edit that sparked viral spread) - **Date:** 2004 (game release), 2019 (viral spread) ## Overview The meme centers on a brief scene from the opening minutes of *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas*. CJ, freshly dumped in hostile gang territory by corrupt cops, picks himself up off the pavement, looks around, and mutters "Ah shit, here we go again." The delivery is flat and exhausted, not angry. That tone of pure resignation is what makes it work as a reaction format[2]. People use it whenever they're facing a situation they've been through before and didn't want to repeat. Monday mornings, exam season, another round of bad news, a recurring argument. The meme comes in three flavors: the original screenshot with caption text, the video clip, and green screen edits that place CJ into new contexts[1]. ## How It Spread The scene didn't gain any real traction online until January 7, 2015, when YouTube user ZMOONCHILD live uploaded the three-second clip. That video has since racked up over 4.7 million views[1]. On September 23, 2015, GTAforums user Sentinel Driver used a screenshot from the scene as a reaction image, one of the earliest documented uses of the image as a meme[3]. Before late 2018, the meme saw only scattered use. Wykop.pl user Sharpshovel posted one of the earliest known edits on November 11, 2017[3]. On December 7, 2017, Memecenter user superstar211 posted a captioned screenshot that picked up 345 likes[3]. Through mid-2018, variations trickled onto Reddit's r/historymemes, r/MemeEconomy, r/memes, and r/Tekken, plus Instagram[3]. The real breakout came on April 3, 2019. Twitter user @ChaoticGeekCG posted a green screen edit of the clip with the message: "Never found a good green screen of CJ saying 'Ah shit, here we go again'. So I made one for myself. Also sharing it to y'all."[1] The tweet pulled over 1,700 retweets and 5,200 likes in its first week[3]. With the green screen version available, creators could drop CJ into any scenario. On April 4, Twitter user @DayXwolfXl made a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure approach edit that got 160 retweets and 440 likes in five days[3]. Two days later, @TrueJCGamer uploaded an edit that blew up to 3,800 retweets and 13,400 likes in three days[3]. From there, the meme spread rapidly across Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, and eventually TikTok, where users adopted the original audio for their own content[1]. ## How to Use The meme works best for situations involving repetition or an unwanted cycle. It is not for one-time surprises but for things that keep coming back. 1. Identify a frustrating recurring situation (Mondays, group chat drama, annual disappointments) 2. Choose your format: image macro with the still frame, a reaction video clip, or a green screen edit placing CJ in a new environment 3. For image macros, add a caption above the CJ screenshot describing the recurring annoyance 4. For video reactions, reply to news or announcements with the original three-second clip 5. Post to social media, group chats, or reply threads where the situation is clearly happening again ## Cultural Impact The meme's reach extends far beyond the *GTA* fanbase. It's used regularly by sports commentators, political accounts, and everyday social media users who may never have played *San Andreas*[2]. The phrase has entered casual speech, with people saying "here we go again" in CJ's cadence during real-life conversations. Digital linguists have pointed to this meme as an example of "image macros 2.0," where a single image conveys a complex emotional state without explanation[2]. The meme functions like shorthand: posting it communicates exhaustion, resignation, and dark humor all at once. The *GTA Trilogy* remaster debacle in 2021 created a rare moment where a meme became self-referential. The broken state of the remastered game generated thousands of posts using the meme about its own source material[2]. ## Fun Facts - Young Maylay, the rapper who voiced CJ, recorded the line to sound exhausted rather than comedic. The specific drop in pitch at the end is what gives the meme its emotional weight[2]. - *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas* is the best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time with over 17.3 million copies sold on that platform alone[4]. - The corrupt officers who dump CJ in the opening scene are voiced by Samuel L. Jackson (Tenpenny) and Chris Penn (Pulaski)[2]. - The meme took roughly 15 years to go viral, one of the longer gaps between source material creation and internet fame for a gaming meme[3]. - The correct quote is "Ah shit," not "Oh shit." Getting the first word wrong is one of the most common errors people make with this meme[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Ah Shit, Here We Go Again"? It's a reaction meme based on a line spoken by Carl "CJ" Johnson at the beginning of the 2004 video game *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas*. CJ says the phrase after being dropped in rival gang territory by corrupt police officers[3]. ### Where did "Ah Shit, Here We Go Again" come from? The line comes from the opening scene of *GTA: San Andreas*, released October 24, 2004, by Rockstar Games. CJ, voiced by rapper Young Maylay, says it after corrupt C.R.A.S.H. officers leave him in Ballas territory[4]. ### What does "Ah Shit, Here We Go Again" mean? It expresses weary frustration at having to deal with a recurring or repeating situation. The tone is one of tired acceptance rather than surprise or anger[5]. ### How do you use "Ah Shit, Here We Go Again"? Post the screenshot, video clip, or a green screen edit in response to a situation that keeps happening. The context should involve repetition or an unwanted cycle, like Monday mornings or recurring bad news[1]. ### Is "Ah Shit, Here We Go Again" still popular? Yes. The meme saw its biggest viral spike in April 2019 after a green screen version appeared, and it's been in steady use since then across Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram[1]. ### Who voiced CJ in the original scene? Rapper Young Maylay provided the voice for Carl "CJ" Johnson. His delivery of the line, with a noticeable pitch drop at the end, is a big part of why the meme works so well[2]. ### Who made the green screen edit that went viral? Twitter user @ChaoticGeekCG posted the green screen version on April 3, 2019, saying they couldn't find a good one online so they made their own. The tweet got over 1,700 retweets and 5,200 likes in one week[3]. ### Why did the meme take so long to go viral? *GTA: San Andreas* launched in 2004, but the scene didn't start spreading as a meme until 2015, and didn't fully blow up until 2019. The 15-year gap is one of the longer incubation periods for a gaming meme[3]. ### Is it "Ah shit" or "Oh shit"? It's "Ah shit." The "Ah" is a sigh, not an exclamation. Misquoting it as "Oh shit" is a common error[2]. ### What happened with the GTA Trilogy remaster? When Rockstar released *GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition* in 2021, it was full of bugs and graphical issues. Players posted the meme about the very game the meme came from, creating a self-referential moment[2]. ## References 1. ['Ah Sh*t, Here We Go Again' Meme Is Here For Your Frustration]() 2. [Why the Ah Shit, Here We Go Again Meme Never Actually Died - Thelightshot]() 3. [Girls playing GTA? - GTA Online - GTAForums]() 4. [Ah Shit, Here We Go Again - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]() 6. [Ah Shit, Here We Go Again - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Wikipedia]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/ah-shit-here-we-go-again Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library