Sara Bareilles just proved that sometimes the best content comes from the most unexpected — and genuinely horrifying — places.
The 46-year-old two-time Grammy winner took to Instagram on March 18 to share what she lovingly captioned, “My first short film.”
What followed was a five-minute masterpiece of comedic narration, improvised singing and pure, unfiltered chaos as she cleaned out the chimney of her country house and stumbled upon a discovery that nobody — least of all Bareilles — was prepared for.
The Song That Launched a Thousand Comments
Leave it to one of music’s most gifted songwriters to turn a moment of abject horror into an instant earworm. Bareilles kicked off the video by singing a made-up tune that immediately set the tone for everything to come.
“When you live in the country and you open a door ‘cause it’s always been closed every time before. And you see some stuff falling out you think, maybe I should see what’s inside,” Bareilles sang.
And then came the unforgettable hook.
“And it’s a skull. And it’s a skull. It’s the bone of a maggot-filled skull!” she continued. “I don’t know what this thing is, it’s a giant dragon. What the f–k, what the f–k?”
If that doesn’t scream Grammy-worthy songwriting, what does?
The Plot Thickens — Literally
Bareilles went on to explain that she has had the house for several years and “loves” it. But there was always one little door on her wall — known as a chimney clean-out door — that she could never open.
On this fateful day, she finally did. What she learned is that some doors are better left shut.
“It’s, you know, the carcass and remains of some kind of giant rodent,” she said in the video, adding that she thinks it might be a raccoon.
But the plot twists didn’t stop there. As the “Love Song” singer shoveled out the debris, the scale of the situation became clear — and her reaction was nothing short of iconic.
“This body is big. It’s like a turkey! Oh my god, there’s a long tail. It’s like birthing itself backwards,” she said in the video before claiming that there are multiple carcasses.
That’s right: Multiple. Carcasses.
“That was traumatic,” she added once the remains were in a bag — a line that honestly deserves to be printed on a T-shirt.
Even in the aftermath of her deeply unsettling discovery, Bareilles brought the wholesome energy only she can deliver. She shared her plans for the remains with the kind of sincerity that makes her impossible not to love.
“And I want you guys to know, for what it’s worth, I am going to give these little creatures a little blessing and set them back into nature, even though they’re quite, very, very dead,” she said.
“And then I’m going to sage the place and take a shower,” she concluded.
Honestly? Reasonable.
The Internet Had Feelings
The post absolutely exploded. Bareilles herself acknowledged the viral moment in a separate Instagram post, joking: “I don’t think I’ve ever posted anything online that has gotten more interaction than me removing cat carcasses from an old chimney in my house.”
The comments section became its own event. Comedian Wanda Sykes delivered a pitch-perfect response, commenting under the video: “I would’ve just moved.”
“Holy CRAP!! were they in fact, cat carcasses??!! You’re a rockstar in every way, you funny, brave even when grossed out, compassionate, pioneer woman you! Love you Sara !” Tony Award-winning actress Donna Murphy wrote.
One user captured the collective experience perfectly: “I feel like I just watched a legend being created. There are so many highs and lows, plot twists and quotable moments.”
And then there was the brand interaction that truly sealed the video’s status as a social media moment.
Petco jumped into the comments with: “this is a very unexpected cameo for us,” referring to the brown paper bag that said PetCo on it.
