Pass The Dutchie
Stranger things has taken the internet by storm, recently its fourth season came out and it’s been a huge success. If you don’t know, stranger things is a Netflix show about a group of teens living in the 1980s who get caught up in supernatural forces and deep government secrets. It is currently one of the most watched shows in the world, ranking number 1 on Netflix's global list. It’s now been number 1 for the last 8 weeks. Part of the internet craze surrounding Stranger Things has to do with the soundtrack in the latest season, which has sparked tons of nostalgia and good vibes. One of those songs is “Pass The Dutchie”, which has long been a stoner anthem since it came out. This article will explore both the history of the song and its recent virality.
Recent History of the Song, Within Stranger Things
In this season of stranger things, music is largely important and a theme throughout. And not just important in the sense that it sets the mood/tone or helps the viewer understand the vibe of the situation.
Music is literally what saves the character's lives. Without going into too much detail (spoilers ahead), music is important in the show because it is a way for the characters to escape the torment of demons from the upside down.
The upside down is a different dimension that is filled with evil spirits and monsters. When one of these entities from the upside down grabs hold of you, the only way to escape their hold is by listening to your favorite song. Supposedly, music reaches a part of the brain that ordinary language cannot. In the show, music happens to be what unlocks someone's ability to see past the entity's tricks and grasps.
Once someone starts listening to their favorite song they are able to start seeing/visualizing the real world again and ultimately escape. Each character has a different favorite song that they must listen to when they are grabbed by one of these figures from the upside down.
One of those characters, Argyle, loves the song “Pass the Dutchie” more than any other. Argyle is the show's token stoner (every good show has at least one). Argyle is your very stereotypical stoner, he has the reggae look, the chill vibe, and is always high. Argyle loves a good joint, and we love that he loves it. If YOU want to roll some dutchies you can find everything you need in our rolling papers section!
Given that he and his friends are fighting literal demons, he often retreats from the group to smoke some weed and calm down. (relatable) Argyle is easily a fan favorite, and this is part of the reason the song has seen a resurgence.
History of Pass the Dutchie
Pass the Dutchie is a reggae song that came out in 1982, it was performed and written by a group known as “Musical Youth”. The song was the group's first with a label and obviously a great success. Pass the Dutchie is actually not totally original as it is a combination & alteration of two other songs, “Gimme the Music” & “ Pass the Kouchie”. Kouchie is a Jamaican slang term meaning marijuana. Rather than use that verbiage though, Musical Group decided to go with “Pass the Dutchie”. A dutchie is a cooking pot.
The reason for this switch was to allow the song to be played by a greater audience, and without being censored on the radio. All other drug references on the original song “Pass the Kouchie” were also changed. For example, mentions of the word herb were replaced with the word food. As soon as the cover song Pass the Dutchie was released it was an instant hit, debuting at #26 on the UK chart and then rising to #1 just a week later. The song also hit #1 in 5 other counties and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.
Tik Tok Virality
Pass the Dutchie didn’t only go viral back in 1982, it is also seeing a resurgence today in 2022, 40 years later. Currently, Pass the Dutchie is charting in the top 200 songs in 5 different countries (including the United States). Its highest rank is in New Zealand where it currently ranks as the 20th most popular song. Along with Stranger Things using the song and being extremely popular, Tik Tok too, has helped push the song back up the charts. Tik Tok is known for trends and using repeated “sounds” (songs) to accompany a said trend.
Pass the Dutchie has been involved in multiple trends on Tik Tok which has led to its current popularity. For starters, Tik Tok users have created a choreographed dance to go along with the song. Another way the song is commonly used on Tik Tok is in videos talking about or showcasing stranger things.
Given that the show is the number 1 show on Netflix, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that there are tons of fan accounts that post Tik Toks discussing conspiracy theories relating to the plot, future predictions for the show, easter eggs in the show, or just general fanboy content. Lastly, Pass the Dutchie is also used as the sound of choice in most all stoner videos on Tik Tok. Whether that be just a trippy-looking video, an informational weed video, or anything else weed-related.
Pass the Dutchie has gotten so popular on Tik Tok that there are actually plenty of younger people who refer to the song as a Tik Tok song (not knowing that the song was insanely popular in the 1980s). It is both awesome and strange to have a song that was so popular 40 years ago be popular today. The strange part is that many people hearing the song and making it popular today are hearing it for the first time through Tik Tok or Stranger Things.
Summary
Pass the Dutchie is a 1982 Reggae song that has seen a resurgence thanks to the likes of the Netflix show Stranger Things and the social media app Tik Tok. Pass the Dutchie is a classic stoner anthem and that’s exactly how it is used in the show Stranger Things, as it’s the stoner character’s (Argyle) favorite song. Favorite songs are important for the plot of stranger things as they help one to remove Vechna’s Curse, which is when a demon from another dementia tries to take hold of you.
Pass the Dutchie, while first re-introduced to the youth through Stranger Things, has also become a staple sound of Tik Tok by becoming part of trends having to do with dancing, stranger things, and weed. Next time you are smoking some weed and want to listen to some music make sure to turn on Pass the Dutchie and play it real loud, the vibes are immaculate.
