The German tongue twister that went viral on TikTok explained by its creator

On TikTok it is heading towards a crazy figure: 50 million views. On Youtube it has surpassed the 10 million mark. On Instagram it has collected over 600 thousand likes. And one of its creators, the musical cabaret artist,Bodo Wartke, has seen his followers increase exponentially on every platform, also thanks to the ballet he invented together with producer Marti Fischer. We’re talking about “Barbara’s rhubarb pie”, one of the catchphrases of the last six months on social media. Or rather, in its original version, “Barbara’s Rhubarb Bar“. According to Deutsch Welle, one of the most important German sites, the secret of its virality lies precisely in the language used and in the chosen devices which make this tongue twister difficult to repeat even for native speakers.

According to DW, the credit for its spread goes to two Australian music students who, despite not understanding the lyrics, were drawn in by the catchy rhythm, the expressiveness of the two comedians and the dance created specifically to be replicated on TikTok. Their performance was picked up by many of their peers and created an unstoppable word of mouth. “The two girls took our choreography to a whole new level,” Wartke explained to DW. “And I think that inspired a lot of people to imitate it, including a lot of influencers. Then it even reached Broadway choreographers, which is absolutely crazy and, for us, of course, a huge honor.”

In Germany tongue twisters are made even more complicated by the length of the terms contained in the dictionary. In many cases, this rich tradition of language games can start with just a single word. According to DW in this case the word is “Rhubarbbarbarabarbariansbeardbarberbeer“. The song tells the story of Barbara, born in a small village, who became famous for her excellent and delicious ‘rhubarb cake’. Such a success that she was able to open a bar where, among the many customers, three bearded ‘barbarians’ stand out who urgently need a visit to the barber. The piece, therefore, plays on the repetitiveness and alternation of the same syllables, adding some formulas and names known to the general public such as “abracadabra” and “Barbapapà”. DW also makes a reference to “a similar but very ancient case, all “Italian”. Or rather, Roman. That is, the Latin tongue twister “barbarians barbarians barbarians barbarians barbarians“, discovered on a wall inscription in Pompeii. Again, more than the meaning or translation, the funniest aspect is trying to repeat it quickly. As if it were a rap.

At the origins of Barbaras Rhabarberbar lies Wartke’s desire to write a new, comical piece that could catch on social media. “I had the idea to expand the German tongue twisters, rhyme with everything and add beats,” Wartke explained to DW. “And so I used this trick for my social media channels and, surprise, it worked!” And you don’t even need to know German: “Apparently a lot of people like the sound of the language and the rhymes.” A bit like Eminem’s lyrics: “If you don’t understand the lyrics, you can still say, it’s a very special way of rapping and I like the music and the sound of the words, even if I don’t understand them.” Wartke, who is no stranger to this type of operation, would like to continue to breathe new life into a particular genre, “musicalizing” a language, German, usually famous for its harsh tones and its sharp edges. At least until Barbara and her famous cakes come along.