What Is The 'Here We Go Again' Meme? The 'GTA' Image Of Infinite Repeating Explained

Many of the world's spiritual traditions believe life and time are cyclical, meaning that events often repeat themselves and the only thing you can do is say ah shit, here we go again. Thankfully, there's a famous meme which will help you say it to your online friends. Let's explain where this iconic image came from, what it meant when it first emerged and what it means now.

Where Does 'Here We Go Again' Come From?

The meme originates from a Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas cutscene, right near the start of the game, in which the reluctant protagonist CJ finds himself embroiled in criminal situations yet again after being harassed by corrupt police officers. While storming off to get down to business, CJ mutters to himself:

Ah shit, here we go again. Worst place in the world, Rolling Heights Ballas country. I ain't represented Grove Street in 5 years, but the Ballas won't give a shit.

The game came out in 2004, but the image didn't really become a meme until the mid-2010s. Like many scenes from classic games, it saw continual reposting in the years after its release, with a steady amount of postings across Reddit and devoted meme-generating websites. However, in the spring of 2019, the meme really took off and started to be widely used across platforms where users were talking about stuff that seemed to happen over and over and over again.

What Does 'Here We Go Again' Mean?

The meme has become a standard response to any situation that seems like history is repeating itself. Posting it can be a form of commentary, saying that whatever situation CJ is responding to is one of the same thing repeating.

Often, the meme has been used to make commentaries about history or current events. It shows a kind of weariness with what's happening, but also a reluctant embrace of the fact that you have to deal with it.

How Do People Use 'Here We Go Again' In Memes?

Users have continually edited the image to throw in new kinds of characters other than just CJ, in order to fit the situation better. Like all memes, it can get surreal. But overall, "Here we go again" is one of those memes that fits a particular situation so perfectly that it has become the internet's default way of describing that situation. When you've seen this whole show before, when you've already danced this jig, there's only one thing left to say.

For the full history of "Here we go again" be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.