TikTok Teens Have Discovered The Cringe Of Sheppard’s ‘Geronimo’ And Are Tearing It Apart

In 2014, Brisbane band Sheppard released their debut album Bombs Away. Six years later, they will finally reckon with justice, as TikTok has recently rediscovered the distinct, undeniable cringe and overwhelming whiteness of their breakout single ‘Geronimo’.

It’s probably familiar: ‘Geronimo’ held the #1 in the ARIA charts for three weeks, and hit top ten spots across the globe.

If we had to describe it, it’s an overwhelmingly twee pop-punk track, as if it was written and recorded purely for a C+ Dreamworks film about a group of quirky anthropomorphised animals. It’s since found its home, appearing in the fourth Alvin and The Chipmunks film, as well as a couple of other animated films that sound absolutely fake, like Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave and Norm of the North.

And for a refresher, Sheppard is a five-piece band with three Sheppard siblings — George, Emma and Amy — and their third album is out next February. Their father and manager Greg Sheppard was formerly director of Wilson Protective Services, the company who oversaw Manus Island’s detention centre security. Given the Sheppard’s parents originally ‘poured their life savings’ into band and founded their label, Sheppard has been criticised for its links to Australia’s detention facilities.

Their biggest hit to date, ‘Geronimo’ is intended to be uplifting, and apparently a reference to Matt Smith’s version of Doctor Who frequently yelling ‘Geronimo!’.

It is the sonic equivalent of a fedora or saying ‘you sir have won the internet today!’, though a quick look at the comments on the YouTube video reveal a few more choice similes, such as “this song sounds like gentrification” and “this song sounds like a granola bar”.

Over on TikTok, users are cosplaying as people who love ‘Geronimo’, creating lip-syncs that have a certain je ne sais nerd. Here are a few of the best/most painful.

Then there’s the roleplaying as someone who would listen to ‘Geronimo’ posting a TikTok, or Trump supporters pre-emptively celebrating his election win with the track. It’s all very meta.

This one by @disneyjail really sums it up to distinct cringe of ‘Geronimo’, calling himself a “epic bacon millennial redditor nerd hubby who works in stem, collects Funko pops, goes to barcases, listens to nerdcore and filk music, and just saved up to get a Tesla for my Disney adult wife, wish me luck!”.

User @raihan offers a different but equally valid reading: “idk how to explain it but [‘Geronimo’] sounds like it eats dinner at 5.30pm”.

Our favourite, though, might have to be the awareness campaign began by @berniegzz, where they advise non-white people to not use the word ‘Geronimo’, as it’s a slur.

Find the music video for ‘Geronimo’ below, where the band galvanise a dead carboard puppet called ‘Geronimo’ to life and start a war or something.