The composer and musician behind Tangerine Kitty, the group that have gone viral with the YouTube video and accompanying song Dumb Ways to Die, have been revealed as a collaboration between The Cat Empire's keyboardist Ollie McGill and Tinpan Orange front woman Emily Lubitz.

The video, which has achieved almost nine million views since its release five days ago, is a campaign advertisement for Metro Trains Melbourne's safety department.

Ollie McGill took time from playing keys for The Cat Empire to compose and write the lyrics to the tune, with Lubitz singing the catchy tune – the pseudonym “Tangerine Kitty” forming from a merge of both bands the two play for.

The ditty is actually killing it at home and abroad, with it cracking the top 10 on the iTunes chart and ranking in sixth position globally by Sunday – mainly sparking confusion from the musicians.

“I'm kind of overwhelmed to tell you the truth,” McGill said. “I've never dreamed of something I've written going viral like this. It's gone beyond the desired effect, which was ambitious to start out with. It's mad – I don't know when it will stop.”

Lubitz added, “It's a really cute song and a cool cartoon and people love that kinda thing.  But to tell you the truth, the human condition and the ways of the internet baffle me equally.”