What is the song in the viral Jon Hamm dancing meme? We compare the original track from “Your Friends & Neighbors” to the TikTok version and analyze the dark psychology of the scene.
The Jon Hamm Dancing Meme has been buzzing through TikTok’s viral trends for quite some time now. Creators from all walks of life are using it in their own unique ways to express a sense of deep, indulgent satisfaction for something they just discovered. And indeed, most recently, Jon Hamm’s blissful, lost-in-the-moment face flooded the TikTok ‘For You Page’ once again following the announcement of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Consequently, a new wave of searches has hit Google as users try to identify the song playing in the background. However, there is a fascinating detail many don’t know: the song used on TikTok is different from the one in the original scene. This discrepancy says a lot about the meaning of that moment and how TikTok has become the ultimate re-interpreter of modern trends.
Today, we’re diving into the full story: the Jon Hamm Dancing meme, the original scene, the series it comes from, the transformation triggered by TikTok, and the psychological shift behind it all. Let’s dive in.
Two Versions of the Jon Hamm Dancing Meme Song: How TikTok Reimagined a Mental Breakdown
Let’s start from the beginning: the original scene that birthed the Jon Hamm Dancing meme is a pivotal moment in the Apple TV+ series Your Friends and Neighbors. In the show, Jon Hamm plays Andrew ‘Coop’ Cooper, a middle-aged man in the throes of a devastating mid-life crisis. Triggered by the unjust loss of his job, Coop descends into a secret life as a cat burglar, a choice that eventually shatters every aspect of his reality. In the original scene, Coop fully surrenders to the chaos his life has become, dancing with reckless abandon in a youth-oriented club, momentarily forgetting the wreckage of his recent weeks.
There is significant misinformation online regarding the original song in this scene; you won’t find the truth in most ‘clickbait’ YouTube videos. The scene is from Season 1, Episode 8., and the official Apple TV+ TikTok account shared the original version as far back as March 2025. But few users took notice: watch it below.
The original song—which you likely haven’t heard in any viral version of the meme—is ‘Sentient System’ by Joseph William Morgan. It’s a fast-paced, powerful techno track that symbolizes the frenetic, youthful environment of the club—a world completely alien to Coop’s character. You can listen to the original track below to hear the difference.
The version you actually know is a TikTok’s re-interpretation. As is often the case, TikTok acts as a skilled interpreter of modern trends, swapping the soundtrack to adapt the mood in a way that is often more effective than the source material. We’ve seen this before: the use of Lady Gaga’s Bloody Mary for Wednesday Addams’ iconic dance, or the adoption of End of Beginning as a musical farewell to Stranger Things.
Here is one of the many viral TikTok videos featuring the Jon Hamm Dancing meme:
The Jon Hamm dancing meme song introduced by TikTok is Turn The Lights Off by Kato and has a completely different style, more melodic and liberating. Though produced by the Danish DJ in 2010, TikTok brought it back into the spotlight in 2025, using Jon Hamm’s vacant, distant expression to amplify its emotional impact. You can stream the full track below.
![Kato Feat. Jon - Turn The Lights Off [Official Video] HD](https://auralcrave.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FFxDMMeWK1ZE%2F0.jpg)
The “Dissociative Dance”: How the Internet “Medicated” Jon Hamm’s Midlife Crisis
The original scene from Your Friends and Neighbors is powerful and laden with meaning. In a world that has suddenly become too difficult to navigate, an honest man in the midst of a mid-life crisis can lose every certainty, transforming into an unrecognizable individual capable of crimes no one would have ever imagined. The wound visible on his nose is the symbol of this new life—a jarring contrast to the image of the high-level businessman Coop was just months prior.
There is a stark friction between the power of the music and Coop’s mental state. He is losing himself, surrendering to a context entirely foreign to his character. Surrounded by energetic youth, he is in the middle of an existential crisis that no one around him could ever comprehend. This is why Kato’s song, introduced by TikTok, feels like a better ‘fit’ than Joseph William Morgan’s techno track. ‘Turn The Lights Off’ is a more introspective, emotional dance.
The lyrics of ‘Turn The Lights Off’ bring an additional layer of meaning to the meme:
I said, ooh-ooh
Come on, baby, turn the lights off
Ooh-ooh
‘Cause it’s getting late
Through Kato’s song and these lyrics, the Jon Hamm dancing meme becomes a plea for grace: a request to forget everything and surrender to the moment, if only for an instant. It’s a call to ‘turn off the lights’ on the disaster of his life and allow for a rare second of indulgence. He promises he’ll go back to worrying about the rest soon enough.
It is a mental breakdown accompanied by music that—let’s admit it—perfectly mirrors the original essence of the scene. This transforms the meme into something more than a ‘victory dance.’ TikTok accompanies Jon Hamm through his mid-life crisis and, in its own unique way, manages to ‘cure’ him during the most difficult moment of his life—and perhaps, our own.
