Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm | The Story Behind The Song

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

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Top 2000 a gogo

2 жыл бұрын

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).

Пікірлер: 642

@jrjubach 9 ай бұрын

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 Ай бұрын

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

@bigbasil1908 9 күн бұрын

I was hanging around at Clacton Aero club, learning about light aircraft and flying in cessna's lol

@iambiggus 2 ай бұрын

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

@bungasujatmo1439 3 ай бұрын

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

@chrismarek7864 Жыл бұрын

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

@2degucitas 9 ай бұрын

Is it really that old? Wow.

@JeremyAustin-hw1qy 8 ай бұрын

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

@marshac1479 4 ай бұрын

Good God no.

@bartmix8994 3 ай бұрын

Possibly the worst song ever recorded.

@brad2751 3 ай бұрын

You're welcome.

@safespacebear 2 жыл бұрын

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

@shizuokaBLUES 2 жыл бұрын

Seems like a regular Canadian guy for me.

@suedeciviii7142 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

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

@shizuokaBLUES Жыл бұрын

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

@leafbelly 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

I agree, it's a great album.

@LuckyFlesh 2 жыл бұрын

@@return2sender791 Stop embarrassing yourself.

@mikearchibald744 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

@@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_ 2 жыл бұрын

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

@tregibbs Жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

@@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 11 ай бұрын

This is one of my favorite songs.

@RichM0410 10 ай бұрын

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

@butterflygirl22 9 ай бұрын

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 8 ай бұрын

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 4 ай бұрын

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 4 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

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.

@Robcobes 2 жыл бұрын

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

@BrockLanders 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@mxm6809 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@ResidentRob 2 жыл бұрын

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

@willritter4076 4 ай бұрын

@rfdsrfds Жыл бұрын

For me, one of the greatest songs ever

@redballoonluke 3 ай бұрын

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.

@mattlawson714 9 ай бұрын

A perfect song. Especially the bridge and the ending.

@johnadair4693 Жыл бұрын

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

@misophoniq 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@SinisterMud 2 жыл бұрын

😂👍

@kimmywhycensored6374 2 жыл бұрын

Lol!

@jamesjameson4566 2 жыл бұрын

Cool story bro

@LordLuc94 2 жыл бұрын

@@andyroid5028 What makes you that bold worthy?

@dpunk8047 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

@ 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 2 жыл бұрын

Social politics suck, especially during our school years.

@Dhardy316 2 жыл бұрын

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

@squamish4244 8 ай бұрын

@@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 7 ай бұрын

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

@turtleblazer3310 8 ай бұрын

I still love this song 💘

@RichM0410 10 ай бұрын

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

@kreigalm7381 2 жыл бұрын

That album is actually very good. Quite underrated.

@tomomalley8674 6 ай бұрын

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.

@bonbon0416 3 күн бұрын

“Growing up, I always thought… that I just couldn’t sing because I couldn’t sing in [other singers’] range… It turns out I was just trying to sing to people who just had a different range to me.” This comment really stood out to me, especially as the song Brad discusses is about feeling like an outsider. I love that he realized he could sing when he stopped trying to be like everyone else. ❤

@tomlingafelter2866 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@markusmittwoch1398 10 ай бұрын

One of the best Songs of the 90s.

@imsooffended6860 Жыл бұрын

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.

@flurkin 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@kjdtm 3 ай бұрын

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

@rightuppercut1426 Жыл бұрын

Love this song, his voice and the entire album

@Midi25 3 күн бұрын

This is a divine song. Everything about this music is perfect. People in Russia love this song very much. This is a sign of quality. Btw, russian girls from the 90s were in love with Brad and his talent.

@hksoundpro 2 жыл бұрын

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

@TheBarneytoo Жыл бұрын

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.

@handznet 2 жыл бұрын

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

@raithrover1976 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

@@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.

@Jabberstax Жыл бұрын

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

@paulmoore9785 2 ай бұрын

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

@rajajesson 4 ай бұрын

I still remember buying this cassette some 25 years back ❤

@lotusshakespeare3389 5 ай бұрын

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

@Totem2583 Жыл бұрын

Great song!!! Perfect as it is!

@sticksman1979 9 ай бұрын

Everything about this tune is great storytelling.

@Zen36977 3 ай бұрын

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. ❤

@AL-grhvc 7 ай бұрын

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

@americanpancakelive Жыл бұрын

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

@49Roadmaster 2 жыл бұрын

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

@tecdesigns8183 2 жыл бұрын

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

@chuckshipley9917 2 жыл бұрын

Much like when I introduced 80s movies to my son when he was old enough, I introduced this album to him. He loves it. His favorite song off the album is " afternoons and coffeespoons".

@christopherlussier4383 2 жыл бұрын

@argo5690 2 жыл бұрын

If I ever had a movie made about my life (so far) Afternoons & Coffeespoons would have to be on the soundtrack.. That line is a direct reference to a TS Eliot poem which is properly credited..

@djalixer Жыл бұрын

Renewed appreciation for the song. ❤❤❤

@steevidrums 2 жыл бұрын

The words to this song always intrigued me back then. It seemed they were actual accounts of real events, turns out, they were mostly true events. This song was one of the time that stood out, the chord structure always moved me and the subtle synth work and the bvs of Ellen (I think that's her name, the keyboard player) was always a great contrast to Brad's deep tone.

@JibberLang 7 ай бұрын

i love this song even more now....

@IamMagPie 9 ай бұрын

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".

@ravenhill_firelord_1968 2 жыл бұрын

aaahh! the great brad roberts, i still have the album 'god shuffled his feet' on cd and tape cassette.

@jaotree 6 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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....

@streetdenizen 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@ChrisPuckett 2 жыл бұрын

Timeless song, great tribute

@Gioagla Жыл бұрын

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

@kourtneyj77 Жыл бұрын

this song is truly beautiful from start to finish

@paulelverstone8677 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@mikearchibald744 2 жыл бұрын

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

@moonsammy42 2 жыл бұрын

@@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 2 жыл бұрын

@@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 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@thepontiff6031 11 ай бұрын

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

@edwinreid8355 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@haroldgillette7157 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@james-p Жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

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

@jenpierce2385 Жыл бұрын

I absolutely love the chorus of the song as well as the rest of the song 🥰

@justingutube 3 ай бұрын

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

@DrewJmsn 3 ай бұрын

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.

@Onlythatfunkyshit 2 жыл бұрын

I just fell in love with this song all over again. Such a deeply beautiful story.

@KevinBenecke Жыл бұрын

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

@smilinacha 4 ай бұрын

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.

@intertubicular 3 күн бұрын

Love this song and love the writing insight. I find the song quite beautifully written and very haunting. It's perfect!

@niansenx 2 жыл бұрын

I saw them live a couple of nights ago. Fantastic gig, the whole audience were singing along. There was a sense of great affection for the them. Ellen was fantastic, she pulls the funniest faces on stage, clearly loving every moment.

@Rimpelmans 2 жыл бұрын

A great song, but what made it even greater is that it was accompanied by one of my most favorite videos of all time. I watched MTV every day back then and they played this song a lot luckily.

@paulagwhyte1720 2 жыл бұрын

And so it was, perfect. Xx

@paulschilling2996 2 жыл бұрын

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

@LordLuc94 2 жыл бұрын

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

@Top2000agogo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Spread the word :-)

@Nuj-rx8wk 5 ай бұрын

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

@Zenlife1132 Жыл бұрын

Love him so much!!

@Zenlife1132 Жыл бұрын

Love him so much

@rappsman Жыл бұрын

One of my favorite albums of all time, a masterpiece!

@mikeandersonwa 2 жыл бұрын

He seems like honestly such a lovely dude. Also, that song is seriously amazing

@double-h-farms 2 ай бұрын

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

@jamesmitchell7419 2 жыл бұрын

I love this song my childhood favourite thanks man x

@amyl.7570 Жыл бұрын

2022 and this album is still constantly and obsessively played in my home! I absolutely love every song!! What an AMAZING man ❤

@MrRahimhosein Жыл бұрын

This band is still together!!!

@pascalmerschaudio 2 жыл бұрын

This guy has create Magic to the world with he´s Music.....incredible Talented

@soundingthedeep1 2 жыл бұрын

One of my favorite albums ever. Pure genius.

@BowlingGreenTampaMan 2 жыл бұрын

I saw CTD at an out door show , at Western Kentucky University , just before this song hit big . What a great band to see LIVE . They are pretty good with a frisbee too.

@jeanfink361 2 жыл бұрын

Brad's baritone voice is MONUMENTAL!!!!🌞

@crystalp7242 Жыл бұрын

Lower than that. He’s a bass-baritone, which is essentially a high-lying bass. Johnny Cash and Barry White both bass-baritones as well. One of my old high school friends has a singing range similar range to Brad’s. (He did chorus and was in the bass section.) A few years ago, I made a comment about love bugs that made him comment back with “It’s the circle of liiiiiife…”, and I responded with something along the lines of, “If I remember your singing voice correctly, you’d sound like Brad Roberts from Crash Test Dummies trying to sing Elton John!” Which, frankly, would sound incredibly funny.

@OMGWTFLOLSMH 2 жыл бұрын

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

@angermanagementstudios 3 ай бұрын

Wonderful, truly wonderful album.

@cheesenoodles8316 2 жыл бұрын

I loved this song from it's first release and still do..... It is perfect, and is great to sing along in the car. Hmmm mmm mmm.

@Tom.Livanos 2 жыл бұрын

Gosh... this one was a beauty 'Top 2000 a gogo'. Thank-you.

@colt10mmsecurity68 2 жыл бұрын

Yup the very best album from that band. God shuffled his feet! 🧡 it!

@viviennedearlove5426 25 күн бұрын

Still on of my favourites. Can relate to the song well ❤

@kailaniandi 3 ай бұрын

Great classic song!

@se7encureton 3 ай бұрын

If I remember right, this gentleman is a college professor and that shows a lot. Thanks for the behind the song/story All these years later.

@ronjohnson-ph9ld 9 ай бұрын

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

@rene4278 2 жыл бұрын

Good story about the penthouse nearly 30 years ago time flies but standing still in this video. Make's my Day.

@herbjergens6350 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I loved hearing this song come on the radio when I was in High School!! Great artistic ability and talent. Thank you and the band for sharing your talents with all of us!!

@chrisbowman4267 Жыл бұрын

This guy is so original

@fanofhifi 2 жыл бұрын

First CD I ever bought. What a great album and what a great artist. Thanks for the video!

@mikelin2703 2 жыл бұрын

Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm is my favorite song to sing at karaoke because it fits my voice perfectly :)

@Zilla__man 3 ай бұрын

A great classic!

@carriejmichael9377 11 ай бұрын

I love this guys voice ,could listen to him tlk /sing all day .Im besotted ❤❤❤❤

@nikkihush 25 күн бұрын

One of my favorite songs from back in the day! And to hear that his own fears about being teased or bullied played a part is kind of amazing. Anyone feeling like an outsider can relate. And I think most kids felt like that at some point in school back in the day when bullying was so bad! Just like the movie The Breakfast Club, I think this was a product of that time and what kids were going through at school. Not that it still doesn't happen now. It always will, because unfortunately kids can be mean, and there will always be "those" kids! Well, thank you for pouring your heart into this song and creating a classic for us!

@jcoghill2 2 жыл бұрын

Brad your band was the greatest. Your songs are brilliant, beautiful and unique. You were just starting to hit the Big Time and then gone. The people who loved the band want more. Can you make it happen? You need a comeback followed by a here to stay regarding the band. We all love your voice. Finally someone I can sing with.

@appie82 2 жыл бұрын

They still exist and touring! I saw them performing yesterday here in the Netherlands

@japanjaydee Жыл бұрын

They're still around! They're on a world tour right now. They're going so many places. The US/Canada leg is up next.