Meaning
What does Peanut Butter Jelly Time mean?
Peanut Butter Jelly Time is a popular internet meme that has taken on a life of its own.
It is the title of a catchy song by The Buckwheat Boyz, with simple lyrics about making a sandwich, paired with an animation of a dancing banana. It wasn’t long before people started creating their own versions of the video, remixing the song and adding their own spin to the concept.
Today, “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” is still popular as a meme and as a GIF that people use to express excitement or happiness. The song itself has become something of a cult classic, with many people still singing along to it whenever they hear it.
While there isn’t necessarily any profound meaning behind “Peanut Butter Jelly Time”, it’s clear that it struck a chord with people when it first appeared online and has since turned into a classical piece of internet history.
Origin
What's the origin of Peanut Butter Jelly Time?
The origins of “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” can be traced back to a song by The Buckwheat Boyz, a hip-hop group from Jacksonville, Florida. In 2001, they released a single called “Peanut Butter & Jelly,” which featured lyrics about making sandwiches and dancing.
But it wasn’t until a year later that the song became an internet phenomenon. In 2002, two friends named Ryan Gancenia Etrata and Kevin Flynn created a flash animation featuring a dancing banana set to the tune of “Peanut Butter & Jelly.” They uploaded their creation to the forums of Offtopic, a website dedicated to random discussions.
The animation quickly gained popularity and was reposted on other websites like Newsground. Soon, people began sharing variations of the animation with different characters dancing to the song.
Spread & Usage
How did Peanut Butter Jelly Time spread?
Over time, “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” evolved into more than just a catchy tune and silly animation. It became a cultural touchstone and an enduring meme that continues to be referenced and shared today.
One of the first places where “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” was referenced was in the Season 3, Episode 7 of Ed, on NBC. This cameo homage helped to spread the meme even further. Soon after, various online humor sites and blogs like Something Awful and eBaum’s World featured the animation, which helped it gain even more popularity.
The meme continued to spread through various TV shows and video games in the early 2000s. It was featured in an episode of Family Guy, as well as in the video game World of Warcraft, where the banana’s moves were adopted as the dance of the Orc race.
However, it was YouTube that really helped to propel “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” into internet stardom. The first YouTube upload of the animation was uploaded by user mycreed on January 31, 2006. From there, it quickly went viral and became one of the most popular memes on the platform.
In addition to the original animation, there have been countless parodies and remixes created over the years. Some people have even made their own versions featuring different characters or objects dancing to the tune.
While The Buckwheat Boyz may not have intended for their song to become a viral sensation, they certainly left their mark on internet- and pop culture. And thanks to the power of memes, “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” will likely continue to bring smiles to people’s faces for years to come.

External resources
- Wikipedia – Buckwheat Boyz
- OffTopic – OffTopic Forums
- Newgrounds – It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
- SomethingAwful – It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time
- eBaumsworld – Peanut Butter Jelly Time