What is the ‘sitting is the opposite of standing’ song and where did it come from?

A song about the joys of sitting has become an unexpected hit on social media, and it’s leaving a lot of people wondering where it actually came from.

The catchy song — aptly named “Sitting” — first popped up in a tweet by the comedian Bryan Jordan Alvarez (@brianjoralvarez), best known for his roles in Will & Grace and the 2022 sci-fi movie M3GAN.

Alvarez often shares videos of himself filmed through funny Snapchat filters, including ones where he plays a character and singer-songwriter named TJ Mack. “Mack” is allegedly responsible for the now-viral song, which opens with the lyrics: “Sitting is the opposite of standing/Sitting is the opposite of running around/Sitting is a wonderful thing to do.”

The ode to “sitting is the opposite of standing” has taken off since Alvarez first uploaded it on Sept. 10, reaching more than 2.6 million views in less than two weeks. It’s also become a new social media trend, with countless users uploading their own versions on TikTok, Instagram and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

On X, Nogloff Nogloffian (@doctorn0gloff) posted his own version of the song “in the j-fusion style of Himiko Kikuchi,” using Alvarez’s original vocals set against a jazz beat.

Some real-life musicians have even posted original covers of the song, turning it into even more of an internet earworm.

Nashville singer Kory Wheeler (@thisiskory) gave “Sitting” the acoustic treatment, posting his soft, guitar-driven cover on TikTok.

In the video text, he jokingly called Alvarez “one of the genius songwriters of our time.”

New York musician Emma Welch (@grapeofwrath) did something similar on Instagram, where she posted her own version of the song with a bass guitar.

There have also been mash-ups of the covers, which Alvarez himself has posted on TikTok.

Social media users just can’t seem to get the nonsensical song out of their heads, and it seems to be earning Alvarez a whole new fanbase.

“My wife is getting tired of me singing this but at least she knows that sitting is a wonderful thing to do,” @waytooautistic commented on one of the comedian’s posts.

“gonna play this song at my wedding,” joked @110297zip.

“I’m glad I’m not the only Brian Jordan Alvarez stan,” added @glaagar.

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