Yelling about pop culture developments and fandoms has found a new mascot in an unlikely folk hero.

Paul Revere, the 18th-century patriot, became the unwitting poster child for overly dramatic fandom announcements over the past year thanks to a TikTok trend that began in late 2024.

Revere's image, specifically a painting of him riding through the night with a lantern, has become shorthand for the urge to shout, "EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW THIS RIGHT NOW." Whether it's diss track updates or the latest Nintendo game, the man's image has not been given rest over the past year.

Here's a recap of how the Paul Revere 'The British Are Coming' Painting became a meme.

Who is Paul Revere, and Where Did the Painting of him Holding a Lamp Come From?

Paul Revere was a silversmith and part-time courier for the Sons of Liberty who became famous for warning colonists that British troops were on the move in 1775.

Contrary to popular belief, he didn't actually scream, "The British are coming," since many of the colonists still considered themselves Brits, but memes have never been too picky about such details.

The image used in the meme is usually "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" by Edward Mason Eggleston, a 20th-century painting that took some creative liberties.

It depicts Revere dramatically riding a horse through colonial Massachusetts, lantern in hand, yelling. In reality, Revere's mission hinged on secrecy, and his message was delivered quietly to the American minutemen.

Where Did the Paul Revere Painting Meme Come From and How Did it Spread?

The meme started on May 4th, 2024, when TikToker @_giomama_uploaded posted the Eggleston painting with the caption, "How I feel telling my friends Kendrick dropped a THIRD song." This was in reference to the ongoing Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake saga, making it clear that this news could not wait.

@_giomama_ trying to strike a corde but it’s probably a- minor is INSANE #kendricklamar #drake #fyp #foryoupage #notlikeus ♬ Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar

After that, Paul Revere became a visual stand-in for anyone acting as a cultural town crier. TikToker @idkwhouydkme joined in on December 4th, 2024, posting the same image with the text, "How it feels telling people that Spotify Wrapped came out," a post that clocked in at 52,000 plays and 660 likes.

@idkwhouydkme #spotifywrapped #spotify#paulrevere #itsout #musica #lemmegoviral ♬ The Trio – Il Triello – Extended Version – Ennio Morricone

What Are Some More Examples of the Paul Revere Midnight Ride Meme?

The format moved beyond TikTok in late 2024, making its way to X (formerly known as Twitter) and Tumblr heading into 2025.

On December 20th, 2024, X user @2ukko tweeted the painting with the caption, "Tf2 fans telling everyone comic 7 dropped," gathering over 38,000 likes in six months (which is more attention than Team Fortress 2 has gotten from Valve in recent years).

On March 27th, 2025, Tumblr user @kiwi-jammy used the same image to announce, “TOMODACHI LIFE IS BACK!!!!!” That post got over 5,000 notes in two months, suggesting that Paul Revere may be more emotionally invested in Nintendo games than previously documented.

The Paul Revere meme is a historically inaccurate but entirely valid way to express one's duty to alert the group chat.

After a lifetime of being memorialized as an American folk hero, it's time his likeness was repurposed in pursuit of the new great American pastime: internet gossip and media releases.

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For the full history of Paul Revere's 'The British Are Coming' Painting, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.