The line comes from 'Un velero llamado libertad', a 1979 song by Spanish singer José Luis Perales, where a man leaves by boat in search of freedom. The full lyric continues with him naming his boat Libertad. Decades later, short clips of the dramatic 'y se marchó' moment spread on TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts, detached from the ballad's serious tone. Editors began using it ironically for everyday departures, drops and escapes, and its stretched, emotional delivery keeps it recognizable even without the rest of the song.