When you’re on your way to work and your ride breaks down, you’ve got a couple of options. You can call a tow truck, call an Uber, or, if you’re like Nathan Apodaca, you can grab your bottle of Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice and your phone, hop on your longboard—and make a viral video that nearly breaks the Internet.
As the old adage goes, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” Rather than miss his shift at the potato processing plant when his 2005 Dodge Durango—with 330,000-plus miles on the odometer— quit on him last month, the 37-year-old father of two took matters into his own hands.
“Sometimes my car just shuts off if I turn or hit the gas a certain way and then it won’t start unless I get a jump,” he told Time. [The morning I filmed the video], it went out and I was like, I’m not going to sit here and wait to flag somebody down. So I grabbed my board—I always have it with me in the car just in case—and my juice and I started heading to work.”
The road might have been downhill for his commute to work, but everything else that’s happened since Apodaca filmed his now-famous skateboard ride to fame lip-syncing, “It’s only right that you should play the way you feel it” from Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ been a total high.
Not only has the video surpassed 35 million views since he posted it to TikTok on September 25, it’s also won Apodaca some pretty impressive admirers and spawned a ton of spin-off tributes.
@420doggface208 Morning vibe ##420souljahz ##ec ##feelinggood ##h2o ##cloud9 ##happyhippie ##worldpeace ##king ##peaceup ##merch ##tacos ##waterislife ##high ##morning ##710 ##cloud9
♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) - Fleetwood Mac
Everyone from Cheech and Chong to Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon to Montana’s Lieutenant Governor, Mike Cooney and this adorable little girl have gotten into the act.
montana dreams pic.twitter.com/JSpvY3aYsp
— Mike Cooney (@CooneyforMT) October 6, 2020
But no one was more impressed than Fleetwood Mac’s own Mick Fleetwood—and with good reason.
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Since Apodaca’s video went viral, the band’s “Dreams” scored its best streaming week ever, with more than 8.47 million views in the United States alone, according to Billboard.
“It was spontaneous. It was heartfelt. It was fun, and God knows we need some of that right now,” Fleetwood said in an interview with NPR. “To some extent, it was a lovely accident. It could have been any song, but it was ours. For us bunch in Fleetwood Mac, the inspiring thing was that it was just so off the wall. Did we expect it? No. Are we happy and delighted? Absolutely.”
In addition to making his own tribute video, Fleetwood recently reached out to Apodaca to thank him via a video chat facilitated by the BBC. “It’s such a great story and so needed in days that are really challenging. I’ve heard you speaking and it makes people smile. I’m so happy to be part of it.” Fleetwood said.
@mickfleetwood @420doggface208 had it right. Dreams and Cranberry just hits different. ##Dreams ##CranberryDreams ##FleetwoodMac
♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) - Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood wasn’t alone in his appreciation. Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes arranged for Apodaca to receive a brand-new truck—cranberry red—its bed packed with Apodaca’s favorite juice, of course.
Fan donations to Apodaca’a TikTok channel have been streaming in as well. Apodaca, who currently lives with his eldest daughter in an RV, plans to put the money toward a downpayment for a house.
While Apodaca’s on a leave of absence from his job, he’s taking his new-found fame one day at a time. “I’m chill with it,” he told the New York Times. “I’m liking it. It’s awesome that I get to relax and do some videos on my own time now and enjoy it for a minute.”
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As those familiar with Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ know, the song lyrics also include the lines: “Now, here I go again, I see the crystal vision. I keep my visions to myself.” Whatever the future holds for Nathan Apodaca, we’re guessing for him, that won’t be an option.
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