“Ah shit, here we go again.” It’s only one short sentence, but it contains so much—a frustration with monotony, a weary exhaustion felt down to your bones, a general annoyance that never seems to go away.
It’s easy to see why this phrase became the basis of a popular internet meme. After all, what’s the point of social media if not to share your irritations with a bunch of strangers?
Where does the ‘Ah shit, here we go again’ meme come from?
Also known as the “here we go again” meme, this internet staple originated with a scene in the 2004 game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The main character, Carl “CJ” Johnson, finds himself in a crime-ridden neighborhood.
“Ah, shit, here we go again,” Johnson says. “Worst place in the world, Rolling Heights Ballas country. I ain’t represented Grove Street in five years, but the Ballas won’t give a shit.”
How did it become a meme?
It would be another 11 years before the scene started to gain traction online. The three second clip was posted to YouTube by ZMOONCHILD live (and has since racked up over 4.7 million views).
From there, screenshots featuring the caption “Ah shit, here we go again” slowly started popping up. But it was @ChaoticGeekCG’s green screen version of the clip, uploaded in April 2019, that really started driving it into meme territory.
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 pic.twitter.com/azZFDLDGnp
— Chaotic Geek (@ChaoticGeek) April 3, 2019
Once green screen was on the table, all bets were off. Twitter users inserted all sorts of images and videos into the original, and it quickly spread.
#GodofWar
— TheBlackSouI8Ωأحمد (@TheBlackSoul) April 9, 2019
Kratos : Ah shit, here we go again pic.twitter.com/nuKdDasrFY
As thanks for your hard work. Have the first of possibly many. pic.twitter.com/4Qx0lRqBoo
— Day, Pangolin Boi (@DayXwolfXI) April 4, 2019
— Inapt (@inaptxd) April 5, 2019
The meme perseveres in many forms
Despite the opportunities that green screen opened up, the original clip and the corresponding screenshot have still been used as a meme, too. Sometimes, you don’t need to superimpose an image over something specific to express the world weariness you feel deep in your soul—you just need CJ’s words.
As with any good meme, there has also been the occasional spin-off, completely changing the original meaning.
And more recently, TikTokers have started picking up the original sound to use for their content, giving the meme a whole new life in a different format.
@_my_oh_mya_ Every time… #newcosplay #cosplay #asuna #asunayuuki #swordartonline #swordartonlinecosplay #asunacosplay ♬ original sound – Meme God
@thrsasnknmybt THANK YOU NEXT! #dating #horrible #single #singledad #singlemimomlife #backtoschoolcheck ♬ original sound – Meme God
@janellyvega Im three months preggers ❤️🤰 #baby#pregnant#2under2 ♬ original sound – Meme God
As long as the world keeps turning, it seems like this meme will have a place in our culture.
Related memes:
- ‘I have concepts of a plan’: A meme for the unprepared
- Funny work memes to lighten your mood
- The ‘Old Town Road’ memes will ride ’til they can’t no more
- Unprecedented photo of black hole gets meme’d to the moon
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