Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm | The Story Behind The Song | Top 2000 a gogo

In New York singer/guitarist Brad Roberts from the band Crash Test Dummies tells the story behind 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm'.
A short documentary by Top 2000 a gogo from 2021 (Dutch Public Television).

[@iambiggus]

I have a deep voice, and I thank them for making a song that I could reliably karaoke too.

[@jrjubach]

He's quoted as saying, "I could perform that song anywhere in the world, and anywhere in the world people will sing along with the chorus."

[@mlc4050]

Summer of 94, mowing lawn while humming this song over and over

[@bungasujatmo1439]

It's now March 2024 and listening to this song still gives me goosebumps, that's the definition of a timeless masterpiece

[@chrismarek7864]

This classic just turned 30 years old this year. Thank you Brad.

[@2degucitas]

Is it really that old? Wow.

[@JeremyAustin-hw1qy]

No way wow it makes sense though my wife turned 41 in January and i turned 40 valentines day

[@marshac1479]

Good God no.

[@bartmix8994]

Possibly the worst song ever recorded.

[@brad2751]

You're welcome.

[@safespacebear]

Gosh he really comes off as a very open, humble and genuine fellow. I wish this interview was an hour or so longer

[@shizuokaBLUES]

Seems like a regular Canadian guy for me.

[@suedeciviii7142]

Yeah so many of these the artist hardly talks about the song at all. He's really well spoken and has a lot to say about the song he's famous for.

[@eriomnyc6073]

When I first moved to New York City I went to a yoga class which started with a Om satsang - I said to myself he sounds like the lead singer of crash test dummies , and I was right ! It was him :) He’s a super nice yogi

[@zhulza]

@@shizuokaBLUES I didn't think Canada still had guys?

[@shizuokaBLUES]

@@zhulza haven't watched a game of hockey in your life?

[@leafbelly]

That entire "God Shuffled His Feet" album is brilliant, not only lyrically, but musically as well. And the production is wonderful. Hands down my favorite album from the '90s. Sorry, "OK Computer" ... you're No. 2.

[@baskruitnl]

I agree, it's a great album.

[@LuckyFlesh]

@@return2sender791 Stop embarrassing yourself.

[@mikearchibald744]

Actually a lot of 90s stuff really was meh. Except Kid A, which I liked better than OK Computer. But I always associated this band with the 80's for some reason. This is their second album isn't it? But yeah, I can't think of any music from the 90's that I listen to now. I guess those were the Spice GIrls years?

[@adamruhnke7048]

The album was one of my favorites. Lyrically and musically very amazingly done. Not many people listened to it and I felt it was one of my many special little gems. I'm glad I am not the only one.

[@dtower1825]

@@mikearchibald744 Hmm I don’t know. A lot of my favourite albums come from the 90s - stuff by Wilco, Grandaddy, No Doubt, Faith No More, Weezer, Neutral Milk Hotel, blink 182, Cardigans, Third Eye Blind… I think there was a lot of great stuff in the 90s

[@N3G4T1V3_]

The ending of the song with the band harmonizing sounds heavenly, always loved that part.

[@tregibbs]

dito. I made a clip in garage band where it's just the final ending chorus and piano. It goes on for almost 2 minutes..

[@SirG145]

@@tregibbs that in itself as apotheosis to this song was indeed maybe even better than the mmm-mm part.. nevertheless it wouldn't be as cool when the estranged mm-mm part would've been left out however.. Wonderful crafted song, thematically in its time, lyrically, as well as by chord structure.

[@frankhassett2496]

This is one of my favorite songs.

[@RichM0410]

Have ALWAYS felt that as well…just gives me chills😊

[@butterflygirl22]

That’s exactly how I felt! I would sometimes close my eyes with my palms up and just look up and feel that part of the music. What a great ending to a great song.

[@baileyward1]

I'm just seeing this interview for the first time. I think the song is brilliant, and the story sung with that vocal range is refreshing to hear. I just like it still to this day. You created a classic! Thank you!

[@HANSMKAMP]

The song is really awesome. Most songs I like very much, I try to play on a musical instruments. That means: also this song!

[@willritter4076]

I'd be honored if some 90s fans would take a quick listen to my acoustic low-fi piano & vocal YT performances of "Mmm Mmm Mmm" by the CRASH TEST DUMMIES and "1979" by the SMASHING PUMPKINS in tribute to 2 great standards of the era. Live acoustic with no digital editing. Peace out & stay safe in the '020s.

[@tomcoryell]

I was tired of screaming high vocals that are out of the natural male range just shortly after Led Zeppelin became popular. I loved this song immediately partially because of the pitch range.

[@mxm6809]

Always thought the chorus was brilliant. Took it to another level, suggesting it was all beyond words and evoking a sense of the profound. Very beautiful song.

[@Dan23_7]

Yep, “why is it just mmmm? ” A mystery now explained

[@ResidentRob]

I always thought 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm' was meant to represent what couldn't be said because it was too horrible.

[@willritter4076]

I'd be honored if some 90s fans would take a quick listen to my acoustic low-fi piano & vocal YT performances of "Mmm Mmm Mmm" by the CRASH TEST DUMMIES and "1979" by the SMASHING PUMPKINS in tribute to 2 great standards of the era. Live acoustic with no digital editing. Peace out & stay safe in the '020s.

[@RichM0410]

Mr Roberts your voice is one of the most compelling in music….just superb!👍

[@Robcobes]

I recently caught covid and my voice got so deep I finally could sing this song.

[@marlyramsey7783]

He IS very open, humble and genuine!! He’s a Winnipeger☺️Their Holiday Concert at Club Regent was absolutely stellar!

[@rocketman1179]

The soundtrack to my angsty teenage years, they don't make em like this anymore..

[@redballoonluke]

I'll never forget the first time I heard this song. I was 13 and it came on the radio as I lay in bed resisting getting up to go to school. I was transfixed by the sounds and the voice. It was so different and fresh and catchy and deep and dark and funny all at the same time. I couldn't wait to hear it again and getting out of bed to go to school wasn't an issue when it was over.

[@dpunk8047]

I can’t tell you how this song impacted my life during my time as a kid who was an outsider. I was that kid in Catholic school whose mother was divorced, one of maybe a handful out of an entire school. It made me happy to hear it because I knew I wasn’t alone. Plus, it’s just a great song as was the whole album.

[@user-wl6bw3jl4n]

@ Dpunk 80 I echo your sentiments. I too went to a Catholic School and when people heard that my parents were getting a divorce, all of a sudden they stopped talking to me or didn’t invite me to functions where once I was invited. It felt as if I were a leper. As a kid I didn’t s comprehend the reasons why…..and I guess in some aspects now as a adult I still don’t but I guess everyone has their reasons and it’s none of my business.

[@crusheverything4449]

Social politics suck, especially during our school years.

[@Dhardy316]

Little did we know the hypocrisy the Catholic church would be. Biggest scam in history and still running strong

[@squamish4244]

@@user-wl6bw3jl4n My friend's parents divorced in the 1960s, when it was rare, and he got mocked at school. Then...his friend who made fun of him's parents also divorced. His friend stopped making fun of him.

[@Shalamalabingbong]

I was that kid for the same reason! Plus, fat 🙃

[@lotusshakespeare3389]

Always loved his voice and mimicked it when I was a teenager

[@rfdsrfds]

For me, one of the greatest songs ever

[@DrewJmsn]

This is one of my favorite 90s songs, I've love it since the first time I heard it. I could never really put my finger on it, just always felt like I could relate to it somehow. But now I get it, it's about outsiders.

[@MrRahimhosein]

This band is still together!!!

[@turtleblazer3310]

I still love this song 💘

[@double-h-farms]

The chorus is genius, totally fits the story of the song

[@johnadair4693]

Thank you Brad for getting me through some of the best and worst times of my life.

[@TheBarneytoo]

I actually got Brad's autograpgh on April 15th, 23 at the Derrfoot Mall! He didn't 'brush' me away, and we talked for about 5 minutes.

[@if5566]

I wish I could sit and hang out with this guy.

[@mattlawson714]

A perfect song. Especially the bridge and the ending.

[@paulmoore9785]

Fantastic song beautiful with sadness. True to life you could say

[@evanfiore9594]

great piece, great record. I only wish this interview was longer and went through that record song for song.

[@misophoniq]

I remember my girlfriend doing a crossword puzzle (which totally didn't interest me) mumbling that she probably fucked up the crossword because she already had an impossible number of M's in a row. I asked her what the clue to that part of the puzzle was and she said "A song by the Crash Test Dummies?" First and only time I was ever able to help her with her crossword fetish.

[@andyroid5028]

*Haha. That's awesome. Thx for sharing!*

[@SinisterMud]

😂👍

[@kimmywhycensored6374]

Lol!

[@jamesjameson4566]

Cool story bro

[@LordLuc94]

@@andyroid5028 What makes you that bold worthy?

[@chrisbowman4267]

This guy is so original

[@maccastellon2768]

Love his voice.

[@JibberLang]

i love this song even more now....

[@akiyajapan]

One of my all-time favorite songs.

[@kjdtm]

I immediately loved that song when i first heard it back in the 90's

[@tomomalley8674]

As a die-hard 1980's Van Halen fan, this song grew on me slowly. I hated it at first, but now I love it.

[@Zenlife1132]

Love him so much

[@korneld]

This is suck a 90s song for me. I was in college at the time, and every time I listen to it feelings of a by-gone era come rushing back.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Great story and a great story teller. He could do a one man show reciting a monologue.

[@SD9Driver]

That is a nice guitar display on that wall behind him.😊

[@BrockLanders]

This song came out when I was in 8th grade and there was a rumor going around that the lead singer’s voice was so deep because he had 3 nuts.

[@markusmittwoch1398]

One of the best Songs of the 90s.

[@rogerfernandez3775]

I always loved this song because it reminds me a lot of my days in elementary school. Some of my classmates had very similar stories, one had an accident and his hair didn't turn white but he was left with a walking defect, another had birthmarks on his face and my mom took me to the evangelical church and It was terrifying for me to see people screaming and rolling on the ground.

[@VisionaryCompanion]

I was tricked into going to a Pentecostal church camp when I was fourteen, and I still ponder the experience over fifty years later. I witnessed people becoming possessed by something unbelievably ugly, while others "prayed" in order to "deliver" them from God only knows who or what. I swear, it scarred me for life. It was a demonic experience, and I do not use that word lightly.

[@JonatanSHOW1]

I laughed my ass off in the middle of the street walking my dog when he said he couldn't come up with words to the chorus 😂😂😂 love this song and recently learnt how to play it (kinda) on guitar

[@imsooffended6860]

I remember when that song came out. It was presently different from all the other stuff on the radio…and memorable to say the least.

[@Zenlife1132]

Who ever came to this! We are the outsiders. And I love it

[@jamiscannondale1834]

He didn't explain the bridge, but I will... It's like a magnificent ray of light.

[@dianeshields6988]

I used to have a crush on Brad. 😂. Time flies.

[@tecdesigns8183]

This song gets better with time and brings back great memories of the 90s

[@kailaniandi]

Great classic song!

[@flurkin]

The Crash Test Dummies were such a formative band in the days of my youth. I was born in 1979. I remember so well when i first heard supermans song off their first album and i was hooked...the whole cd was just amazing...Then i remember how much i loved their second album as well. Such a great band. And even to this day, their first two albums are my favorite cds of all time. I still listen to them regularly.

[@rickytimmons5294]

Agreed…that first album is fantastic … My favorite summer drive thru the winding country album of all time

[@angermanagementstudios]

Wonderful, truly wonderful album.

[@Zilla__man]

A great classic!

[@sticksman1979]

Everything about this tune is great storytelling.

[@Zenlife1132]

Love him so much!!

[@V01t2]

This was one of my favorite songs in high school

[@user-vl9ht5cv1o]

For a time back in the mid '80s I worked with a man who, when he was seven years old (early '60s), accidently went over Niagara Falls. He, his sister and his uncle fell out of his uncle's fishing boat when it capsized in the rapids above the falls and, because he was wearing a life preserver, survived going over Horseshoe Falls. His sister was pulled from the water by a truck driver who just happened to be on the shore and saw her swimming toward the shore; he grabbed her hand right before she would have gone over. Their uncle did not survive. Fascinating story; fascinating man, too.

[@2Sweeet]

The God Shuffled His Feet album has been part of my life since it released when I was 8 years old, and there are various songs from it still on my digital playlist today. How Does A Duck Know also comes to my mind. :)

[@haroldgillette7157]

I'm 70 years old and my music likes are various from Chopin to novelty songs,and I discovered this group from my sons albums,and fell in love with this man's unique voice.i went out and got their whole repertoire of albums.

[@mikearchibald744]

If you like novelty songs and 'off the beaten path' songs, check out the Rheostatics as well.

[@james-p]

Me too... because I can sing along with him! (my voice is low too and I can't sing along to the Stones either!)

[@loverboy3788]

@@mikearchibald744 not everyone is a ball watcher like you I'll Bill

[@newsviewstoday5689]

My grandmother in the late 1800's had a scare & her auburn brown hair turned white overnight. Pretty amazing stuff.

[@kellyelrington5663]

I still have their CD which I won off of a radio competition in Perth W.A. They were very very different to what I was (& still) listen to but they're pretty cool. Nice bloke.

[@Jabberstax]

I've loved this song since I was 8 years old.

[@phoenixmoon3]

The GSHF album is something of a miracle really. 🤗🤗🤗

[@Zen36977]

One of my favorite albums of all time. I still listen to it all the time Such deep lyrics. Great vocal blends. Great instrumentals. Completely unique sound. Thank you Brad. ❤

[@tomlingafelter2866]

Mmmm will live forever as one of the most brilliant, simple and pacifying "lyrics" to accompany what a song like this meant. The real children needed this hum.

[@kreigalm7381]

That album is actually very good. Quite underrated.

[@adampierce7468]

He's right. Less is more sometimes.

[@rajajesson]

I still remember buying this cassette some 25 years back ❤

[@artwallace2366]

I have a semi bass vocal range and loved this band back then. Between them and type o. Was all I could sing at kareoke. Now as a drummer. This album was a masterpiece. Musicianship and production held strong over 30 years already

[@americanpancakelive]

Wish this was longer-- first time I heard this man speak but I sure remember that impactful song.

[@streetdenizen]

To this day, God Shuffled His Feet is still one of my favorite albums. But I already wrote in my last will that “At My Funeral” will be played during my funeral.

[@paulagwhyte1720]

And so it was, perfect. Xx

[@joel6221]

My god Ellen was just a smoke show ... gorgeous voice and a stunning beauty.

[@_Only_Zuul]

"afternoons and coffee spoons" is another good song by them 👌

[@KevinBenecke]

I really like this song because it is so relatable for a lot of people.

[@AL-grhvc]

one of the best songs of all times..Thank you sir for the timeless masterpiece.

[@IamMagPie]

Great interview. I could have listened to Roberts talking for hours. Crash Test Dummies have given me so much happiness through their wonderful music. Every time I have moved (11 so far), the first album I put on the stereo to test it after having set it up, is "God Shuffled His Feet".

[@ronjohnson-ph9ld]

Saw them a couple years back at tupelo in New Hampshire,been collecting record albums for 58 years and been to so many concerts thru the years, but it was one of the best concerts I've ever went to,and my wife and I went to the 50th anniversary of Woodstock,great time and the crash test dummies are great

[@edwinreid8355]

As I got older, the more I heard this on stations like Absolute 90's here in the UK the more it occurred to me the Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm was the singer just reflecting on the story & the events.

[@Totem2583]

Great song!!! Perfect as it is!

[@hksoundpro]

"The Ghosts That Haunt Me" remains a favorite, for lyrics, musical content and recording quality. One of the great Canadian bands!

[@paulschilling2996]

Your Top 2000 series is seriously one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to KZbin. Your love of the music is palpable in every interview you do. And the musical breadth is wonderful too!

[@LordLuc94]

It's from a public national Dutch radiostation (Radio 2).

[@Top2000agogo]

Thank you so much! Spread the word :-)

[@Nuj-rx8wk]

It's quite a tradition here across all ages to listen to it around the holidays

[@madmanmechanic8847]

I loved this song when it came out and still do, Love the music to it . Hes a one hit wonder but very cool song/ Once in a while I have to find it and listen to it. He has a very cool voice too

[@Mattblaze1477]

In the middle of the grunge era the Crash Test Dummies were unique and kinda a breath of fresh air at the time I remembered thinking. I was 15 years old in 1993 and I loved Nirvana, Green Day, Rancid, The Offspring and stuff like that but I also had a soft spot for the Crash Test Dummies and also Barenaked ladies (Yes im Canadian). Something at the time I wouldnt have screamed from the roof tops and let my group of friends from school know.

[@49Roadmaster]

A real fantastic interview where the interviewer allows the interviewee to shine.

[@paulelverstone8677]

So hard to believe that this is nearly 30yrs old, as I remember hearing this for the first time like it was last week. So entirely different to everything else on the radio at the time; I would listen in part with incredulity and part curious humour. Love the story, love the song, love this channel... :o)

[@conorsmith8551]

Dumb and dumber was where I heard it first . WELL PARDON ME MR PERFECT!!

[@mikearchibald744]

I didn't even know anybody outside of canada even heard of this band let alone this song.

[@moonsammy42]

@@mikearchibald744 It was a substantial hit in the US, tons of play on alternative radio stations. The video was in pretty solid rotation on MTV as well, at least for a while.

[@whythatspreposterous]

@@mikearchibald744 It was big in Australia. I remember it hanging round the charts for many weeks and the words and melody never left me. Also, the Weird Al version helped cement it in there as well. Weird seeing this guy so much older, as, like the OP said, feels like last week it came out.

[@Dhardy316]

I made a music video with my buddy at Hampton Beach, NH when this first came out. He showed me it about 10 years later when I was not in a good place in life(like pills, cocaine, alcohol, not good), and it really struck me in that moment how much I missed the innocence of life and how corrupted my souls became.

[@kourtneyj77]

this song is truly beautiful from start to finish

[@JonnyOpinionated]

I'm mid 40s and this song still gets play on my iPod

[@eliminator7ful]

I knew it! I knew it! He couldn't come up with the chorus lyrics!. And thank gawd he couldn't. I love this song. It can mean what you want it to mean, and because the lyrics throughout are so intriguing but telling some kind of strange story, what it means to each person can be quite different. Wonderful, creative approach to lyrics. Sometimes the things unsaid are as or more important as the things said in music lyrics. Also in music, sometimes the silent rest is more important than the note played.

[@smilinacha]

The fact that he was more transparent about the song being in part about his own life was insightful and helps to make somewhat of a connection between the overall mood of the music and the lyrics. To MY ears, the words and the music seem mismatched. Like the words did not fit with the music which is beautifully bittersweet, sentimental and melancholic. Definitely one of my favorite songs from the 90s.

[@justingutube]

man I hear these guys and it's like im back in college many years ago, music is a time machine...loved this

[@andycannon5136]

The song wouldn't be what it is today if he would have added words to the chorus. I'm glad he stuck with the humming because its really one of my favorite songs

[@handznet]

Always loved this song. Sad that they didn’t had more big hits, his voice is amazing

[@raithrover1976]

Afternoons and Coffee Spoons was also quite a big hit here in the UK. If my memory serves me well, they also charted with a cover of XTC's The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead.

[@cricketexplained8526]

@@raithrover1976 yes that cover was from the film Dumb and Dumber, and also a homage to one of their influences. They contributed a track to an XTC tribute album.

[@jayargo2109]

What a really enjoyable interview 👍🏻

[@Gioagla]

This song is iconic .Point ! Inteligence Level 5000 ! Sense of humor ?....Maximum ..!

[@ladytess23]

Such a cool song. I still love it.

[@thepontiff6031]

Still listen to it at least 2 to 3 times a week, just love it

[@djalixer]

Renewed appreciation for the song. ❤❤❤

[@jaotree]

The CTDs are criminally underrated appreciated. Their lyrics are phenomenal, the musical composure is beautifully amazing, and their willingness to experiment with genre and stylings is unlike any other band I know of. They’re amazing live, too, btw

[@grendlsma]

I dunno about under appreciated. For a band with a baritone singer, and weird introspective lyrics, they got their time at the top of the top. In 1994 they were the biggest band on the planet. They spent a year being on every big show just about every week. Leno, Letterman, Conan, SNL..... I'm surprised a band that eclectic managed to get noticed at all. But I completely agree....absolutely one of the best bands out there hitting on all cylinders....

[@MrGreggallman]

I always loved that song!

[@rightuppercut1426]

Love this song, his voice and the entire album