It was a normal day and then I remembered aicha. I don’t remember why. I think I read the name in a book and then my horrible, terrible brain filled in the rest with this kid singing over a Midi file in his bedroom.

I think I watched this video every day when I was a sophomore in high school for some reason. It’s incredible. From the research I’ve done, it looks like this was originally uploaded in like 2003, probably passed around EbaumsWorld and StupidVideos.com like videos used to back then

I don’t have to click on the link to the video, as it is ingrained in my memory until the end of time, but here are my top five favorite things about “aicha”.

5. These Bedsheets

I think these are Minnie and Mickey Mouse bedsheets and I love them, and I love that he’s being angsty on Mickey and Minnie Mouse bedsheets.

4. The Fact that He is Singing Over a MIDI File

This makes me remember the time in seventh grade when me and some friends needed to use “How To Save a Life” by the Fray in our presentation on The Outsiders, because there’s a scene wherein somebody saves another person’s life. One of my friends downloaded a MIDI file of the song, and when I told them there wouldn’t be any lyrics to it, they told me to wait and listen to the entire file just in case the lyrics eventually came in. As it goes with MIDI files, the lyrics never came in. Gellieman provides the lyrics in this case.

3. The Part When He Slightly Lowers His Voice

You have to listen to the actual song to understand why this is funny, but the main point is that “there she goes again…” in the chorus is spoken by another member in the group, and Gellieman only has himself to work with. So he just sort of lowers it to match, and I think that’s all he needed to do.

2. All of These Windows Movie Maker Effects

I remember using all of these back in 2007 when my humble film-making career began, and I love that he uses them here. Especially the last one here, asked and then immediately answered by the man himself. I had the same question – she moves how??? – and he gets back to me and this starburst within seconds. It’s efficient and helpful.

1. This Dance

This dance is ultimately the most enduring image of this video, and I recreate it almost all the time, particularly when he puts his hand on his chest and sort of shimmies down to the ground

I love the fact that some kid in high school somewhere could make a video like this that would stay with me for over ten years. I remember first seeing this on a site like StupidVideos or IShouldBeStudying, or any other one of those sites where people would just, like, put hyperlinks to their favorite videos and images in a directory. To be honest, joebush.net would be better if it were that way.