Photo: Screenshot from media reports

A song lyric adapted from the remarks of a Taiwan political figure has recently gone viral on both sides of the Taiwan Straits for its catchy rhymes and upbeat tempo. Some Taiwan netizens also used it to lampoon Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and "Taiwan independence" separatists.

The song is titled Good for Nothing, or Meichuxi in Chinese, with lyrics derived from a DPP legislator Wang Shih-chien.

The lyrics include Wang's early remarks during a questioning session such as, "Should've been calm and in complete control, but now you're scrambling around in a fluster. Telling lies with a straight face, why are you choking up?"

Adapted by Chinese Mainland musician Wang Bo, the track was later released on Douyin, a video-sharing platform.

Following its drop, the video drew in a massive audience online with its catchy beat and hilarious scenes. As of 1 pm on Monday, the approximately one-and-a-half-minute song had garnered more than 750,000 likes and been shared more than 210,000 times on the platform.

When asked about his past questioning quotes being adapted into a hit, Wang said that "The online world is truly incredible, full of vitality and creativity," SETN News reported. "I am utterly amazed by this," he added.

The song has spread widely on Threads, a social platform commonly used in the Taiwan region. Combined with Wang's expressions and body language, the song is described as unforgettable and catchy, according to Taiwan's UDN. 

The report said that many Taiwan-based netizens left comments such as: "I really want to hear the full 3-minute version," "It's pretty good," and "Can it be released on Spotify, please?" Some even joked that Good for Nothing is the "most down-to-earth political earworm," the report said.

Sheng Jiuyuan, director of the Center for Taiwan Studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told the Global Times on Monday that the resonance it has sparked demonstrates the shared cultural origins across the Taiwan Straits, reflecting the characteristic of sharing the same roots.

The song further illustrates that the "de-Sinicization" narrative hyped up by the DPP authority is untenable, Sheng added.

On YouTube, a blogger named Yakehuadonghua, based in the Taiwan region, combined this song with DPP's disgraceful acts, adapted the lyrics, and titled it DPP, You're Good for Nothing. 

In the music video, the blogger incorporated past incidents of DPP's poor handling, matching lyrics such as "lying with a straight face." Footage of Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te also appears in the video, paired with the line, "What are you sobbing about?" 

Additionally, the lyrics also include, "It has been ten years since taking office, yet the achievements delivered are pitifully few."

The video resonated with netizens in Taiwan. Since its release on Saturday, it had gained 81,000 views as of 1 pm on Monday.

Netizen UserWasNotFound commented: "First, the 'four priorities,' then the 'three strategies,' but in the end, nothing came of either — all just empty talk" to criticize the DPP. This comment has received more than 600 likes. 

Another netizen FrankLin75623 said, "The more I watch, the more frustrated I get. I really regret elevating the DPP to a position they don't deserve back in 2016."

Many other netizens also said the song felt "spot-on." "There's no sense of dissonance at all — this is the most 'on-point' song about 'being good for nothing' I've ever heard," one comment read. "The lyrics perfectly capture Taiwan's current situation," another netizen said.

Amid the background of the DPP's poor performance, such as the recent Hualien flood relief efforts, the song has become an outlet for Taiwan netizens to express their true feelings and has vividly mirrored their discontent with the DPP authority, which is also part of reasons that the song has gone viral, Sheng said.

The song draws on the words and image of a politician from the DPP camp, enhancing its satirical effect by "using a DPP figure to critique the DPP itself," Sheng noted.