We all know by now that Psy’s “Gangnam Style” has won the Guiness Record for most youtube hits: over a billion. But here’s a song from a transplanted Pakistani fishmonger whose song “One Pound Fish” is catching up. While it’s not as catchy as Gangnam and doesn’t have a dance to go along with it, it still has become phenomenally popular.
Here’s the story: Shahaid Nazir, 31, was selling fish at London’s Queen’s Market. His boss told him he had to bark out slogans to get customers, something he was reluctant to do. He wanted to keep his job, however, so he came up with “Come on Ladies, Come on Ladies, One Pound Fish”, meaning that for one British pound sterling you’d get some nice fish. He received what he felt was divine inspiration to not just yell out the verse but to sing it, and eventually his customers liked his song so much they wouldn’t buy his fish unless he sang the song. A freelance web designer filmed the song and put it up on youtube.
The rest is history. Now he’s famous in both England and Pakistan. And the rest of Europe too. The world catching up fast. Returning to Pakistan to meet with his wife and children, he was mobbed at the airport. He has a contract with Warner Brothers. In the first week he got more than 50,000 hits on youtube.com. At this writing he has over 11 million hits.
Psy, you’ve got competition!
Here he is on the street:
…here is the youtube video that’s sweeping the world….
and a feature on Aljazeera’s English language channel……
Somehow success stories like this make the world a brighter and better place. Nice way to start 2013.