The sound comes from the theme music of Thomas the Tank Engine, the British children's television series that began in 1984 and was adapted from The Railway Series books. Online editors later remixed the upbeat theme with extreme bass boost, a common YouTube and meme editing style in the 2010s. Short boosted versions spread through compilations, edits and soundboards because the contrast was instantly recognisable even without video. It remains popular for ironic edits where a familiar childhood tune needs to sound unexpectedly powerful.