If you tried to explain the lyrics of the TikTok viral “Dirt Man” song, you’d probably come across as a person in the midst of a fever dream who may require medical attention.
The roughly 30-second comedy song is the work of Connecticut-raised musician Carter Vail. It’s a bossa nova bop about a mythical, cowboy-hat-wearing figure who visits men at night and takes them to his mountain lair if they forget to leave a tribute of dirt under their pillows, like a deranged tooth fairy.
Taking a page out of the Bo Burnham playbook, “Dirt Man” pairs absurdist lyrics with a catchy melody, and joins Vail’s roster of social media hits, like the funky track “Aliens Ain’t [expletive].” The 27-year-old musician’s genre-spanning songs are “always random,” he admits. He explained the “most fun” songs to create often emerge after a good night’s sleep. Like, “Dirt Man.”
@cartervailmusic We’re guys, ya know? #dirtman #dirt
♬ original sound - Carter Vail
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“That’s how this one came about,” Vail told the Globe in a recent Zoom interview. “It just popped into my head when I woke up.”
Vail didn’t initially plan to share the song until his roommate convinced him to post the track online after hearing him sing it. Now, a Gen-Z folk tale gone viral, the “Dirt Man” song has amassed over 20 million views across social media platforms since April, earning shout-outs from Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and fellow Nutmeg State native John Mayer, who thanked Vail on Instagram after he posted a tutorial to the song. A $22 “Dirt Man” pillowcase and baggie (for your dirt) set is currently sold out on Vail’s merch website, though he’s taking pre-orders for a restock.
While “Dirt Man” isn’t Vail’s first song to catch fire online, it’s by far his most popular, thanks in part to the open verse challenge he launched, inviting fans to put their own spin on the track. Users across TikTok and other platforms ran with it, creating stitches and remixes that have gone viral in their own right, while adding new wrinkles to the “Dirt Man” lore. “Dirt Man, he has high standards, he won’t accept just common grime,” sang British comedian Rachel Parris in her second verse challenge.
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“It’s been so much fun,” Vail said, noting that, as a massive “Dungeons & Dragons” fan, he was particularly excited to see a mention on the tabletop game’s D&D Beyond social media account. “It’s made enough of a splash [that] this silly song that took me 30 minutes to make is now being tweeted about by Wizards of the Coast.”
Bands are getting in on the fun, too. Los Angeles-based duo Loveless gave “Dirt Man” a synth-heavy, alt-rock remix, complete with a custom lyric video. Minnesota indie rockers Durry created a mash-up of “Dirt Man” and Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” with more than 92,000 Likes on TikTok.
@durry.music Hot to go + Dirt Man = Dirt to Go . Anybody else have these two songs are playing in your head at all times rn? ✋ . Tour starts tomorrow and this will be my sound check song at @govballnyc and i hope @chappell roan hears it 🤞 . @Carter Vail Dirt Man rips . US/CA dates May 31 - Louisville, KY - Whirling Tiger * Jun 1 - Nashville, TN - Exit / In ⚠️ v low tix Jun 3 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall ❌ sold out Jun 5 - Philadelphia, PA - Foundry at The Fillmore ❌sold out Jun 6 - Washington, DC - Union Stage ❌ sold out Jun 7 - Queens, NY - Governors Ball Music Festival Jun 8 - Toronto, ON - Rivoli (CMW showcase) ❌ sold out Jun 10 - Montreal, QC - Le Belmont Jun 11 - Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey Jun 13 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place Jun 14 - Columbus, OH - Woodlands Tavern Jun 15 - Cleveland, OH - Mahall's Jul 13 - Des Moines, IA - 80/35 fest + Jul 19 - St. Paul, MN - Minnesota Yacht Club Festival + . EU/UK Dates Tue 27 Aug - Manchester - UK - Yes (basement) ❌ sold out Wed 28 Aug - Bristol - UK - The Exchange Thu 29 Aug - London - UK - Garage Fri 30 Aug - Larmer Tree - UK - End of the Road fest + Tue 03 Sep - Berlin - Germany - Cassiopeia Wed 04 Sep - Cologne - Germany - MTC Thu 05 Sep - Hamburg - Germany - Molotow . #ontour #indieband #hottogo #dirtman #indierock
♬ Dirt man and Hot to Go - Durry
“The Durry folks are super awesome,” Vail said. “That’s one of the cool byproducts of social media, just getting to meet other creators online.” In June, Durry took a commenter’s request, performing a synchronized “Dirt Man” dance on stage while the crowd cheered.
Vail always had an affinity for music, playing in a band throughout middle school and high school before going on to study music engineering at the University of Miami. Despite its location, Vail said Wilton, Conn., had an active music scene, citing bands like Goose and Friends Til Breakfast. “Which is surprising for this random little suburb,” he added.
Vail moved to Nashville in 2019, where he stayed through the middle of the pandemic and started posting funny songs online. Then, he was off to Los Angeles, where he currently resides. “If ever there was a place to be a content creator, it’s Los Angeles,” Vail said.
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Today, Vail has more than 750,000 TikTok followers, but his commitment to the platform isn’t just for laughs. A singer-songwriter, he’s released a trio of records since 2020 that showcase his “serious” side as an indie-rock musician, though his previous management team had said releasing comedy content could harm his music career in the long run.
But now with the support of a new management team, embracing his funny side has become “an awesome pipeline into people discovering the serious music.” Vail’s new LP, “100 Cowboys,” debuts July 19.
“There isn’t a barrier distinguishing the comedy music from the serious music a lot of the time,” Vail said. “What I’m making is music, and sometimes it comes out funny, and it’s a short song, and sometimes it comes out long, and it’s a sad song or a happy song.”
Indie rock may be the most fitting genre for Vail’s “serious” music, although he likes to paint with a “broad brush.” Vail describes “100 Cowboys” as “bedroom-slacker-cowboy-indie rock,” inspired by a relationship’s rocky end.
“I don’t think it’s like a country record, but I became obsessed with this idea of a cowboy, and it coincided with a breakup,” Vail said. “And so it’s a kind of a cowboy-breakup record.”
Whether it’s making people laugh with silly songs or tapping into his serious side to belt out a somber ballad, Vail is just happy that he gets to do what he loves: make music.
“My goal is to make a million more records, put out music, have people listen to it, and go on tour, and just be creative,” Vail said. “I love making things, and I’ve been super lucky to be allowed to make things, so I’m hoping that they keep letting me do that.”
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Matt Juul can be reached at matthew.juul@globe.com.