“What Does the Fox Say?” may have a lot of fans now, but the viral hit started as a joke, according to a report from The New York Times. Bard and Vegard Ylvisaker recently performed their hit song on NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” along with house band The Roots.

Ylvis’ hit is so popular that it reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart this week. The New York Times notes that it climbed past mainstream hits like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Lady Gaga’s “Applause.”

“We never rehearsed it, because it was never supposed to be a live thing,” Bard told The New York Times.

In Norway, Bard and Vegard are regarded as pranksters with a show of their own, called “Tonight With Ylvis,” on Norwegian TV.

The brothers told TODAY that they were simply trying to produce an “anti-hit,” but their idea “backfired.”

Always the jokers, the brothers told the TODAY show hosts that their real plan was to secure an interview on NBC’s morning show.

“This was our plan,” said Vergard. “This is the main goal. We were sitting back home in Norway, thinking if we were going to perform this on TODAY show, how were we going to do it? So then we made the song about the fox.”

According to NBC Bay Area, the brothers have been a popular comedy act in their home country since 2000. “What Does the Fox Say?” has accumulated more than 100 million views on YouTube and is likely to keep tallying up the views as the Vergard and Bard make several U.S. television appearances.

What do you think of Ylvis’ song? Do you believe the brother when they say they were trying to produce an “anti-hit?” Do you think you could come with a viral hit? Share your thoughts in the comments section.