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CultureQuiet 25h · day 6

Fediverse Marks Annual 'Earth, Wind & Fire Day' on September 21

Social media users flood Mastodon and Reddit with Earth, Wind & Fire's 1978 hit "September" for the song's own lyrical date.

newest coverage 1d agosummary written 2d ago37 pieces105k likes & upvotes595 comments MastodonRedditXBluesky

What to know

  • September 21 has become an informal internet holiday, "Earth, Wind & Fire Day," built around the band's 1978 hit "September" and its lyric about "the 21st night of September."
  • The tradition is largely a Mastodon/fediverse phenomenon in this evidence set, with dozens of low-engagement posts sharing the same YouTube link over a roughly 24-hour window.
  • Some posters note the date also coincides with the UN International Day of Peace, adding a secondary theme to the day's posts.
  • A recurring sub-thread shares trivia about the song's disputed lyrics, including songwriter Allee Willis's objection to the nonsensical 'ba-dee-ya' line.

The dispute There is little real disagreement; posts vary only between pure nostalgia, wordplay on the '21st night' lyric, and trivia about the song's origin. · positions read across 36 posts and comments

most voices

It's time to celebrate 'Earth, Wind & Fire Day' by sharing the song.

  • “DO YOU REMEMBER (Happy Earth, Wind & Fire Day)”

    kbeninato@mstdn.party · Mastodon ↗
many voices

The joke is that today literally is 'the 21st night of September' from the lyric.

  • “It’s the 21st night of September!”

    blueberry@fosstodon.org · Mastodon ↗
some voices

The date also coincides with the UN International Day of Peace.

  • “#InternationalDayofPeace”

    sheribiesen.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy · Mastodon ↗
some voices

Fans share trivia about the song's famously nonsensical lyrics.

  • “What the f*** does ‘ba-dee-ya’ mean? We’re going to change ‘ba-dee-ya’ to real words, right?”

    7sleepersmusic@mastodon.social · Mastodon ↗

Earth, Wind & Fire Band behind the song "September"Maurice White Earth, Wind & Fire co-founder, co-wrote "September"Allee Willis Songwriter who co-wrote "September"Fediverse and social media users Collective participants in the annual tradition

How it unfolded 7 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts

Peak 7 pieces in two hours at Sep 21, 9 AM; 37 pieces over 6 days (37 posts) Sep 18, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 5 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 1 AM — 4 pieces · 4 posts — Mastodon 2, X 1, Reddit 1Sep 21, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 5 AM — 4 pieces · 4 posts — Mastodon 4Sep 21, 7 AM — 6 pieces · 6 posts — Mastodon 6Sep 21, 9 AM — 7 pieces · 7 posts — Mastodon 7Sep 21, 11 AM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 2Sep 21, 1 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 3 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 2Sep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 2Sep 21, 11 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 22, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Sep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Yesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 123–567
Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 5:47 AM ET
  1. 7

    Afternoon posts keep invoking the '21st night of September' line

    Posts continued into the afternoon, with users riffing on the song's own lyric about the date and joking about leaving out cookies for the band.

    “Did you set out a plate of cookies for Earth, Wind, and Fire last night? After all, it's about to be the 21st night of September!”
    — larrypareigis@mastodon.social
    • caseyexplosion.bsky.social

      Fun fact, you can listen to September by Earth Wind & Fire any time you want, it doesn't have to be on the 21st night of September. There are no rules, become ungovernable!

      caseyexplosion.bsky.socialBluesky1d ago171▲view on Bluesky ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 20 posts in this stretch
    • venitamathias@masto.ai

      It's that day! Duck Player - Earth, Wind & Fire - September (Official HD Video) https:// youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk # EWF # september2026 # blackmastodon

      venitamathias@masto.aiMastodon2d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗
    • flargh@mastodon.social

      Blasted this on the way home, as you do. I don't just save this for 9/21, of course. # music

      flargh@mastodon.socialMastodon2d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. 6

    A poster recounts the disputed origin of the song's 'ba-dee-ya' lyric

    One post shared an anecdote about songwriter Allee Willis questioning bandleader Maurice White over the song's famously nonsensical chorus line.

    “What the f*** does ‘ba-dee-ya’ mean? We’re going to change ‘ba-dee-ya’ to real words, right?”
    — Allee Willis (as quoted in post)
    • stefan@stefanbohacek.online

      Hey fediverse, happy Earth, Wind & Fire Day! https:// youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk # EarthWindFire # DoYouRemember # 2stNightOfSeptember

      stefan@stefanbohacek.onlineMastodon2d ago42▲view on Mastodon ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 8 posts in this stretch
    • 7sleepersmusic@mastodon.social

      “What the f*** does ‘ba-dee-ya’ mean? We’re going to change ‘ba-dee-ya’ to real words, right?” -- # Detroit music legend # AlleeWillis to her songwriting partner # MauriceWhite ;-) # Music # Funk # Soul # Disco # RhythmAndBlues

      7sleepersmusic@mastodon.socialMastodon2d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗

    • https:// youtu.be/Gs069dndIYk?si=zQF2Xf cCvMDWHEP6 # september # earthwindandfire # music

      notsle@kzoo.toMastodon2d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  3. 5

    A wave of short "it's time" posts spreads across the fediverse

    Through the morning, users across instances posted brief celebratory messages and video links with minimal commentary, signaling the tradition's arrival.

    “It is time.”
    — gsuberland@chaos.social
  4. 4

    Some posters tie the date to the UN International Day of Peace

    A subset of posts hashtagged the day as both Earth, Wind & Fire Day and International Day of Peace, noting the calendar overlap.

    • Today is the 21st of September.

      @SVG__CollectionX3d ago105k▲view on X ↗
    1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
    • sheribiesen.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy

      September - Earth, Wind & Fire youtu.be/Gs069dndIYk?... #EWF #September #21st #EarthWindandFire #EWFDay #EarthWindandFireDay #InternationalDayofPeace #funk #soul #music #jazzsky #musicsky 🎶 Earth, Wind & Fire - September...

      sheribiesen.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gyMastodon3d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  5. 3

    September 21 arrives and "Happy Earth, Wind & Fire Day" posts begin

    As the date itself began, Mastodon users started posting greetings referencing the song's chorus and the informal holiday it has spawned.

    “DO YOU REMEMBER (Happy Earth, Wind & Fire Day)…”
    — kbeninato@mstdn.party
  6. 1 day quiet
  7. 2

    More users share the song in the run-up to September 21

    Additional posts sharing the official audio of "September" appeared over the weekend, ahead of the calendar date the lyrics reference.

    • # ILikeToWatch 10 P ET. Here's this evening's playlist.... https:// youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRH ExxIq0zhw&si=nSwOys9zc5N79rjo

      MatthewTitus88@mastodon.socialMastodon4d ago3▲view on Mastodon ↗
    1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
    • NYCKNP@socel.net

      Earth, Wind & Fire - September (Official Audio) https:// youtu.be/AWXub7E5moM?is=9bYZ2e B88zbeNq0M

      NYCKNP@socel.netMastodon4d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  8. 1

    A fediverse user previews "September" ahead of the date

    Ahead of September 21, a Mastodon user posted the Earth, Wind & Fire track as part of a recurring "Jukebox Friday Night" series, flagging the upcoming date's personal significance.

    “Another Friday, another JFN! A quick ten from me... Personal to me, because its September and I like this song...”
    — irix@cloudisland.nz
    • irix@cloudisland.nz

      Another Friday, another JFN! A quick ten from me... Personal to me, because its September and I like this song... Earth, Wind & Fire - September https:// youtu.be/Gs069dndIYk # JukeboxFridayNight # PersonalPlaylist

      irix@cloudisland.nzMastodon6d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗

What people are saying 8 voices from 1 site · best of 36 · verbatim

Still unanswered
  • What does 'ba-dee-ya' actually mean, if anything?