The Viral Vowel Power: 5 Surprising Facts About The 'I Like To Eat Song' Dominating YouTube

The "I Like to Eat Song," most famously known as "Apples and Bananas," is far more than just a catchy tune for toddlers; it is a timeless, educational phenomenon that continues to experience massive viral success in the digital age, with new versions and covers constantly trending on platforms like YouTube in late 2025. This seemingly simple nursery rhyme is a masterclass in early childhood education, cleverly disguising a crucial literacy lesson—the mastery of long vowel sounds—within a fun, repetitive, and utterly memorable format. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its brilliant pedagogical design. The song’s core hook, "I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas," is an earworm that has transcended generations, becoming a staple in preschools and kindergartens worldwide. Its current resurgence, driven by high-production children's media companies, ensures its status as a foundational piece of edutainment, actively shaping the phonemic awareness and speech development of today's youngest learners.

The Curious History and Educational Pedigree of the 'Vowel Song'

While the "I Like to Eat Song" lacks a single, identifiable creator and is often credited as a traditional folk song, its history is a fascinating journey through 20th-century children's entertainment. The song's precise origins are unknown, but it is widely believed to have emerged sometime in the mid-20th century, quickly spreading through word-of-mouth and early educational programs due to its effective use of repetition and humor. The song's structure is its true genius, serving as a powerful tool for teaching the five long vowels: A, E, I, O, and U.

• A: "I like to ate, ate, ate ay-pples and ba-nay-nays."
• E: "I like to eet, eet, eet ee-ples and bee-nee-nees."
• I: "I like to ite, ite, ite i-ples and bi-ni-nis."
• O: "I like to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and bo-no-nos."
• U: "I like to ute, ute, ute oo-ples and bu-nu-nus."

This systematic substitution of the stressed vowels in the words "eat," "apples," and "bananas" turns a simple song about food into a dynamic lesson on phonics and articulation.

Key Figures and Milestones in the Song's Popularization:

Because the song has no single author, its "biography" is a list of influential artists and media that cemented its place in popular culture:

• Raffi: The Canadian children's music icon, Raffi, is one of the most significant figures in popularizing the song. His 1985 album and video of the same name brought "Apples and Bananas" to a massive audience, establishing it as a global standard for children's music.
• Barney & Friends: The song also gained mainstream exposure through the beloved children's television show *Barney & Friends*, where it was featured in an episode, further solidifying its status as a classroom and home favorite.
• CoComelon and YouTube Giants: In the 2020s, channels like CoComelon and Super Simple Songs have created high-quality 3D animated versions, catapulting the song to billions of views and ensuring its continued relevance for the newest generation of digital natives.

The Pedagogical Power: Why This Song is a Phonics Masterpiece

The "I Like to Eat Song" is a favorite among educators for its unparalleled ability to build crucial literacy skills in a non-intimidating way. The song’s focus on long vowels is a foundational element of speech development and reading readiness. The use of familiar food items—apples and bananas—provides a highly relatable context for young children. This connection between a fun, tangible concept (snacks and mealtime) and an abstract linguistic concept (vowel sounds) enhances memorization and understanding.

The Triple-Threat Educational Strategy:

1. Phonemic Awareness: By exaggerating the long vowel sounds, the song helps children distinguish between the sounds of A, E, I, O, and U, a critical step in developing phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken words.
2. Articulation and Speech Development: The tongue-twisting nature of the alternate verses (e.g., "ee-ples and bee-nee-nees") encourages children to practice different mouth shapes and muscle movements, improving articulation and clarity of speech.
3. Repetition and Memorization: The repetitive structure of the nursery rhyme, coupled with a simple, catchy melody, acts as a powerful mnemonic device, making the entire lesson easy to recall. This is a hallmark of effective early childhood pedagogy.

The song’s ability to teach without feeling like a lesson is why it remains an essential tool in both preschool and kindergarten classrooms, often used to introduce the concept of vowel substitution before children move on to more complex short vowels and consonant sounds.

Current Viral Status and Modern Cultural Impact (2025)

In late 2025, the "I Like to Eat Song" is enjoying a new peak in popularity, driven almost entirely by the massive reach of children's educational channels on YouTube and streaming platforms. These modern adaptations have injected new life into the traditional song. The key to its current viral success lies in the modern production value. Channels like CoComelon invest heavily in 3D animation, bright colors, and engaging storylines, effectively rebranding the traditional folk song for the digital generation. This ensures that the song about healthy eating and vowel sounds remains at the forefront of children's edutainment. Furthermore, the song’s simple, adaptable structure has made it a favorite for mashups and remixes. Teachers and content creators frequently use it to introduce other concepts, such as counting, colors, or other food groups (e.g., "I like to eat grapes and strawberries"), solidifying its role as a flexible educational template. The modern context has allowed "Apples and Bananas" to evolve from a simple folk tune into a high-tech, multi-billion-view digital asset, proving that the most effective learning tools are often the most fun.