“All that work and what did it get me?” It’s the internet’s new favorite way to complain about wasted effort, but where did this dramatic line come from?
Let me break down this viral sound that’s taking over your FYP faster than that green couch did last year.
The Viral Origin Story of TikTok’s Favorite Complaint
If you’ve been on TikTok lately (and let’s be honest, who hasn’t?), you’ve probably heard someone dramatically lip-syncing “All that work and what did it get me? Why did I do it?” with violins swelling in the background.
This isn’t some new song created by a TikTok musician in their bedroom. It’s actually from Glee – yes, that show your older sister was obsessed with back in 2010.
Specifically, it’s from Season 1, Episode 18 (“Laryngitis”), where Kurt Hummel (played by Chris Colfer) belts out “Rose’s Turn” from the musical Gypsy. In the scene, Kurt is having a full-on emotional breakdown about trying to change himself to impress others.
The raw emotion in his voice? That’s why it works so perfectly as a soundtrack for our collective disappointments.
How It Became a TikTok Sensation
This clip sat dormant for nearly 14 years before becoming the internet’s favorite way to express regret. The sound started gaining traction around mid-2022 when TikTokers began lip-syncing to it.
But the real explosion happened in early 2024, when it morphed into a full-blown meme format. Now there are over 267,000 videos using this audio, ranging from hilariously trivial to genuinely heartbreaking.
People use it to lament:
- Lost childhood talents (“9 years of piano lessons and what did it get me?”)
- Failed relationships (“3 years of being the perfect girlfriend and what did it get me?”)
- Creative projects that flopped (“6 hours editing this video and what did it get me? 12 views”)
- That one perfect selfie you’ll never recreate again
Even celebrities have jumped on the trend. Former Disney star Anneliese van der Pol used it to express frustration about her acting career, showing how the sound transcends ordinary complaints into something more universal.
Why It Resonates So Deeply
There’s something cathartic about dramatically bemoaning your wasted efforts with a soundtrack. The violins! The passion! The theatrics!
The trend works because it taps into that universal feeling we all have sometimes: “Was all that effort even worth it?”
And unlike other fleeting TikTok trends, this one has staying power because:
- It’s versatile – can be applied to literally any regret
- It’s dramatic – the swelling music adds emotional weight
- It’s communal – seeing others’ “wasted efforts” makes us feel less alone
- It’s the perfect mix of humor and genuine emotion
As one culture writer put it, “Social media has become our collective therapy session, and this sound is the perfect soundtrack for our shared disappointments.”
From Broadway to Bedroom TikToks
The irony here is fascinating. A song from a 1959 Broadway musical (Gypsy) gets covered on a 2010 TV show (Glee) and then becomes a 2024 viral TikTok sound.
In the original musical context, “Rose’s Turn” is a climactic number where the main character has a breakdown after realizing her relentless ambition has cost her everything meaningful.
Kurt’s version in Glee maintains that same emotional intensity, making it the perfect soundtrack for Gen Z’s expressions of bitter disappointment.
The trend shows how internet culture constantly recycles and recontextualizes content, giving new meaning to old media. What was once a character’s emotional breakdown is now the perfect way to complain about that time you spent three hours on makeup just to stay home.
So next time you feel like your efforts were wasted, you know what sound to reach for. All that work on understanding this TikTok trend and what did it get you? Well, at least now you can use it correctly in your next video.
