The common Aussie act described as ‘horribly morb…

A long-standing Australian birthday party ritual has come under the microscope.

A woman recently shared her surprise at a friend’s strong reaction to a common tune sung after the candles on a birthday cake are blown out.

The woman, who grew up in Victoria but now lives in North Queensland, said she had always heard an additional refrain sung after ‘Happy Birthday‘ had been completed.

The song? ‘Why was he born so beautiful, why was he born at all? Because he had no say in it, no say in it at all!’

‘I grew up with it as a Victorian, and knew it for the cheeky banter it is,’ she shared.

However, much to the woman’s surprise, a friend was ‘horrified’ to hear the tune, claiming it was ‘morbid and existential’.

Recounting the interaction on Reddit, the woman wondered if what she thought was a nationwide traditional song was perhaps specific to Victoria.

‘So, my question is – where did you grow up, and did people sing this to adults for their birthdays?’ she asked.

The post quickly lit up with replies, with many confirming they too had heard or sung the ditty.

‘I grew up with that song,’ confirmed a Melburnian. ‘Everyone piped up with that after “He’s a jolly good fellow”.’

However, many suggested the song was popular with older generations, but nowadays seemed less common.

‘It was sung by grandparents who have since passed and is now fading out of existence and not really sung anymore in my experience,’ a Sydneysider explained.

‘Grew up in NSW and this was sung at family birthdays by the older folks. My grandfather, especially,’ agreed another.

A Melburnian who grew up singing the song said that they ‘haven’t heard it in a long while’.

‘Was definitely an older gen thing. My nan always lustily led the charge to sing it. I don’t think anyone else in the family would take it up now that she’s passed,’ she said.

Some also noted how it was common to hear just the opening two lines of the tune, but then trail off without the so-called offending lines being completed.

The postshared to the ‘Ask An Australian’ sub-reddit, also prompted discussion about the other common songs heard after ‘Happy Birthday’ at Aussie parties.

Many agreed that belting out ‘He’s/She’s a jolly good fellow’ was still commonplace.

A tongue-in-cheek spin on Happy Birthday was also heralded as a popular choice at kids’ parties, with the lyrics:

‘Happy birthday to you. You were born in a zoo. You look like a monkey. And you smell like one too.’

But one birthday cake ritual that immediately marks out Australians from overseas visitors is the post candle-blowing celebration of shouting out: ‘Hip hip hooray!’.

Just recently, a US woman living in Australia said she was stunned by the birthday party tradition.

Tara Lappan, who moved Down Under after marrying her Aussie husband, was baffled by the trend.

She explained that this is something that doesn’t happen back in the States, where the birthday tune simply ends.

Many Australians were unaware this was not sung everywhere else in the English-speaking world.

‘I didn’t know we sang Happy Birthday differently until I moved overseas… I got looks,’ a local explained.