Folk singer Nimrod Workman is going viral for his emotional performance of the song "Oh Death," and now, a video of him crab-walking in his 80s is also making the rounds.

Nimrod Workman was 99 years old when he died in 1994, and he experienced a full life that included working in coal mines, raising 13 children and working as a trade unionist.

So, who exactly is Nimrod Workman, and how did he become a meme? Here's what we know.

Who Is 'Nimrod Workman'?

Nimrod Workman was a folk singer and coal miner who was born in 1895 and died in 1994 at 99 years old. He began working in coal mines at the age of 14 and had to retire in the 50s due to lung and back issues.

Musically, he was known for singing passed-down Appalachian and Scottish folk songs. Workman also had 13 children with his wife.

Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, several videos of Workman have gone viral on social media. One of the most notable videos shows him doing a "crab walk" on a porch, which involves looping his arms around his legs and walking on his hands.

Most recently, a video of him singing the folk song "Oh Death" has been going viral on X / Twitter and Instagram.

How Is 'Nimrod Workman' Used In Memes?

Nimrod Workman first became the widespread subject of memes in May 2026, when a repost of his 1983 "Oh Death" performance went viral on X.

As the video went viral, viewers began reacting to it with memes, including jokes about his unique name and his appearance.

Some of these jokes also play off of the virality of the "Oh Death" performance and directly parody the wording of the posts that share the video.

The memes about Workman are largely ironic and very tongue-in-cheek. On X, some of these memes use the hashtag "#nimrodtwt," meaning "Nimrod Twitter," and include things like brainrot edits of his "Oh Death" performance.

Other memes discuss Workman's aura and joke about him eternally being an elderly man, as this is the only way we tend to see him online.

What Are Some More 'Nimrod Workman' Memes?

Computer programmer, Starbucks union activist and singer Lilith performs traditional folk song 'Money Machine' pic.twitter.com/ShNfshiIS7

— 🐟 (@crushed_bug) August 25, 2026

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For the full history of Nimrod Workman, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.