Is 'What Does The Fox Say' Singer Really Dead? What Does The Fox Say Song Meaning Explained

Did we all collectively live in the Mandela effect, where we forgot about the fox? Up until 2013, no one bothered to learn or care what a fox sounds like…heck, we didn’t even realize that we never even thought about it.

But one duo rose to the occasion to snap us out of the matrix and make us wonder about an important question– “What does the fox say?” 

One of the most-watched YouTube videos in the 2010s, the music video for “What does the Fox Say?” by the Ylvis duo stands at 1.1 billion views. You have to be in that era of YouTube when bizarre music was our vibe, and this song exemplifies what we didn’t know we needed.

Cut to a decade later, the song has resurfaced again, albeit for a quite dark reason. 

A few rumors are floating on the internet that Bård Ylvisåker, from the Ylvis duo, has passed away. These speculations have been debunked, and the singer is alive and well. He is a part of the Ylvis duo who created the viral song “What Does the Fox Say?”

The rumors started because of a clip from a TV show that showed a funeral, and Bård was lying in a coffin. It was just an act, and he was interviewed after the cover of the viral song ended. The song is a quirky take and estimation of what a fox sounds like. The singers come with possible onomatopoeia in the song. 

Is ‘What Does the Fox Say’ Singer Really Dead?

Setting the record straight: Bård Ylvisåker, the singer of “What Does The Fox Say?” and one half of ‘Ylvis’ is NOT dead and very much alive and thriving.

A Norwegian TV show on VGTV conducts an interview with a unique approach. They first invite the guests and have their funeral…they sure know how to add “fun” to the funeral.

After the whole act, they interview the guests.

Bård was invited to the show to interview after the viral video of “What Does The Fox Say?” marks ten years. In the TV clip, he is seen lying inside an open casket. Other artists start singing the mellow rendition of “What Does The Fox Say?” 

After the song ends, the singer gets up and is later interviewed. But because of the short clip, some netizens thought it was an actual funeral and believed Bård Ylvisåker had died.

But these rumors are absolutely false, and he is very much alive and doing well. 

Real Meaning Behind “What Does the Fox Say”

Now that we have cleared the misconception let us revisit the song that made 2013 a legendary year. 

One song made the Ylvis duo overnight sensations, so much so that they were invited internationally for various events, including the coveted MAMA Korean awards show. 

But why did this song have such an influence on a generation? What does it all mean?

Before we ride on the high horses to find profound meaning, my humble opinion is that the song is meant for purely entertainment purposes, with a straightforward question that none of us wondered before the song came out. 

The lyrics start with a comparison with other animal sounds–

Dog goes “woof,” Cat goes “meow,” Bird goes “tweet,” And mouse goes “squeak,” Cow goes “moo,” Frog goes “croak,” And the elephant goes “toot,” Ducks say “quack,” And fish go “blub,” And the seal goes “ow ow ow.” 

The point here is that every animal has a sound that is universally recognized. But one animal does not seem to have assigned any sound…why have we never wondered what a fox sounds like?

Then, the singers come up with their own possible renditions of what a fox may sound like with several onomatopoeias, like–

“Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

“Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! 

“Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! 

“Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!

“Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!

And many more…

The bottom line of the song is that don’t try to find deep meaning behind everything, and just enjoy the simple wonders like what a fox would probably say. 

What is your take on this? Do you have any theory on any other interpretation of the song? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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