Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm

Album: God Shuffled His Feet (1993)
Charted: 2 4
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  • Once there was this kid who
    Got into an accident and couldn't come to school
    But when he finally came back
    His hair had turned from black into bright white
    He said that it was from when
    The cars had smashed him so hard

    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm

    Once there was this girl who
    Wouldn't go and change with the girls in the change room
    And when they finally made her
    They saw birthmarks all over her body
    She couldn't quite explain it
    They'd always just been there

    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm

    But both girl and boy were glad
    'Cause one kid had it worse than that

    'Cause then there was this boy whose
    Parents made him come directly home right after school
    And when they went to their church
    They shook and lurched all over the church floor
    He couldn't quite explain it
    They'd always just gone there

    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
    Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm Writer/s: Brad Roberts
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 48

  • Valerie From Chicago Area from Chicago AreaThe actress who plays the mother of the third child also appears in the FBI files in different roles.
  • Rohe from Erin Tennessee Prodigy Children. This verse is rapt with great metaphor and timbre, especially myself experiencing very similar instantes when i was young. the church scene, the boy who hit his head.
  • Annoyingkatiefromuk from United Kingdom Is the dad of the boy in the third verse the actor C THOMAS HOWELL from the Hitcher and the Outsiders?! Sure resembles him but much older!
  • John from UsaMore than anything else, this song is about tolerance. It sets up 3 three young people for ridicule because of their unique and awkward experiences. It then goes on to explain that nobody in particular is to blame for any of these circumstances, they just turned out that way. And that is as far as the lyrics go in trying to explain how or why things are the way they are. In fact, the only thing that can be said is "Mmmm,Mmmm,Mmmm," which I interpret as "Just let it go, you don't have to cast judgement on everything. Nor should you." Not bad advice in my opinion. If you disagree, just respond "Mmmm, mmmmm. mmmm." and we'll both know what you mean without any offense being taken. Tolerance. It works like a charm.
  • Tanya Stainbrook from IndianaThe third boy in the video...he looks like a famous actor from today. Who is it?
  • Annabelle from Eugene, OrOn VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, some silly guy thought that The Crash Test Dummies would get in trouble by the Campbell's Soup Company. Everytime I hear that part, I always say, "There's one little problem with your comment, Honeyboy. The Crash Test Dummies didn't infringe on Campbell's Soup, since they didn't say, 'Mmm mmm good.'.". Even worse, the narrator of the show says the band "stuttered" through the chorus. They didn't stutter, they were just humming! There's a difference. Then there's the British brat on the "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever" who makes fun of Brad Roberts when he says to him, "Sing properly!". I just hate it when people try to do that to someone who is just showing off their voice's natural character. I'd like to give that Brit brat a kick in the pants!
  • Christina from Fort WorthThe song is about abuse. Period. The first boy had an accident and couldn’t go to school because he was beaten and the parent moved and changed his hair color so the other abusive parent couldn’t find them. The crash was a cover up. The 2 nd verse of the birthmarks being all over her body is bruises. And the 3rd being a boy who was being abused in church. Shaking meaning sex and lurching meaning (mmmm mmmm) the mmmm mmm part is think about what’s being said.
  • Inachu from East CoastThe singer sourced this song from the internet and asked people if they could share a short story that would make people wonder why about such things happen.
    The first thread in the reply was about the girl who refused to change for gym class.
    The other 2 stories were from me and the boy who got hit in the car/school bus accident happened in the Hurst Euless Bedford Texas area and I was standing with my friend who saw him first standing up waiting to leave the bus and I mention - Who's the guy with the wig?
    He punched my shoulder and started crying that it was his best friend who just recently left the hospital and that it was not a wig but his real hair color and not only was he not looking but also the car driver was not looking either and so he got hit pretty hard.

    People on the message board back then cried BS that never happened. No matter how truthful a person is there will always be a person who will never believe.

    My second story was from a boy in Hot springs Arkansas in Jr. High we were good friends but for the years we went to the same school he never do anything after school but his family would always try to get me to go along with them and one day I did and well I felt so alienated going there seeing people flop around like fish on the floor. I never went back.


    The above I freely gave as that was how it was in the early internet days. People stopped calling them BBS's and started calling them messageboards. This was when infoseek was still ranked as the best search engine and nobody heard of google until 1997 or so.
  • Chief from Knothole, KyI remember hearing this song on the radio when it was new, as an adult. I've often wondered about the meaning, and thought I would offer my observations. I think it deals with abuse, and here's why: Others on this thread have speculated that the first two children made up excuses for the possible abuse. I agree, because in the video, the parents smiled and cheered their children's performances while the third child's parents seethed as he simply stated that a religion was foisted upon him, which some would consider a form of abuse. He would not pretend otherwise. The parents were obviously furious as they left the theater. Three stories of abuse, three different ways of reacting to it. I won't speculate on the notion that this song is ant-religion simply because religion was called out. I am a religious person, but I believe in total freedom of religion. It could simply be an expedient way to show that the signs of abuse dont always manifest themselves visually.
  • Layton from Paris, TxGod Shuffled His Feet is one of the greatest albums of the 90s!
  • Brian from Boston, MaI can't remember the name of it but Midnight oil has a song from their deisel and dust album that sounds simmilar.I'm not saying it is a rip off by I can definatly hear influences.I always liked this song
  • Karl from Ingatestone, United Kingdomi have to say that i love this song, but at the end there is a animal noise at thend.
  • Jessica from Tulsa, OkThis song is kind of weird, but in an ok way I guess. When I first heard it, I was thinking, did Sylvester Stallone start a music career?
  • Stacy from Dallas, TxI agree about the song being about abuse, and I agree that it IS an awesome song. I absolutely Love the vocals.
  • Travis from Grandisland, FlMy big Brother turned me on to this song when we were growing up. I love it's unqiueness till this day. Thanks Bro!
  • Landon from Winchester, OhDid anyone here the story of the thirteen year old who had a nightmare about this song? His story was on Amiright.com. Really funny. But nonetheless, I like this song. It has a unique chorus, interesting story line, and a lot of melody. More people need to listen to the Crash Test Dummies.
  • Daniel from Winchester, OhI really need to download this song its awesome!!
  • Jessa from Aus, AustraliaThis is a fantastic song(Y)
    Im actually writting a speech on it now , hence stumbling across this page.

    There was an interveiw with Brad Roberts on the Radio about this song and he actually said that when he took the demo of the song when he went into the studio he hadnt made up a chorus yet he was just humming untill he thought of something to put there and the studio people actually like it with the "mmm-ing " and thats how that came about.
    Iv seen on some sights that its in the song because its what you do when kids are telling stories and they thought that the bruises and hair was all about kids telling stories.
    But you really never know %100 what the song means or why Brad wrote such amazing lyrics.
    any ways that is all
  • Landon from Winchester, OhGood song, but who's idea was the chorus?
  • Vickeybird from Pune, -I could not understand the bit about the snob parents looking really pissed.
  • Gavin from Belfast, United KingdomJust re-found the Wierd Al version and thought I should play the real one too. This band just goes to show why Canadians are always the funniest North Americans. They know what irony really is - apart from Alanis Morrisette.

    Love the kazoo story and the comment about calling out the name at a concert.

    Question: In the video why do I recognise the two parents who ".. made him come directly home right after school"

    The Dad looks like Tom Skeritt and the Mum (Mom) like an older Winona Ryder. Or am I just too sad?
  • Julia from Knoxville, TnOnly song I know of that has a whole chorus with nothing but "MMMMMMMs". Can you imagine shouting this as an encore at one of their concerts???? Makes me render CTD as not very creative.
  • Tearsofblood from Nowhere That Concerns YouThis is a great song. Grew up listening to the Crash Test Dummies. It'll always remind of the fun we used to have making up goofy dances in our tiny living room after dinner.
  • E from Danvas, MaI definitly think this song is about abuse. the white hair on the first kid is symbolic of him being afraid. The car crash was his story to cover up the abuse. The birthmarks are bruises. The girl said they were birthmarks to again, cover up the abuse. The last verse is the most confusing. The boy was made to come home after school and when they went to church they ALL lurched on the floor meaning the child was given a poison which his parents also took. The girl and boy were glad because they were only beaten whereas the last boy was killed.
  • Nicole from London, CanadaThe Crashtest dummies sang "Superman's song" Not "Superman's dead" that was another group entirely
  • Camille from Oz, WaThis is one fo my favorite albums.
  • Brandon from Peoria, IlHow does someone shout out this song title at a concert? It would sound like someone put tape over my mouth. Not very good marketing :)
  • Mike from Lethbridge, Canada"This was the group's only US Top 40 hit, although 3 years earlier they had a big song with 'Superman's Dead,' which reached US #56 and sold over 400,000 copies in Canada."

    Actually it was "Superman's Song" that also made it onto the charts (a sweet song BTW). Being an OLP fan I know that "Superman's Dead" was a hit on the US charts and is a completely different song by another Canadian band.
  • Stink from Male'the first time i listened to this song, all i heard was someone humming... and then the guiter (oh how i love the guiter) and the music, then the lyrics... awesome song. loved this song from that day. roberts' vocals - just beautiful. i think the song is about living a normal life, like those things not quite make sense but they are there somehow???
  • Casey from Dalton, GaHow could this song possibly be about abuse and/or "destructive religions"? The boy's hair turning white, the girl's birthmarks (they'd've said bruises if they'd meant bruises) and the last kid's parents going crazy on the church floor (that's "normal" at charismatic churches) is all about weirdness. Only the birthmarks sound like bruises or something, but that would make it totally incongruent with the rest of the song.
  • Alan from Akron, OhI had first heard weird Al's parody, and I thought that the song sounded really cool. I thaen searched for the real song and heard it for the first time. The scratchy (in a good way), deep voice, the piano and guitar part mixes together so beautifully. I just love the musical part of this song As for the lyrics, I never knew exactly what the song was trying to say.
  • Chris from Edmonton, Canadathe whole album is fantastic.
  • Gerry from Downpatrick, IrelandAs a Bass muso,I can only add that the Bass sound on the album G.S.H.F is phenomenal.Dan Roberts' playing,esp fretless, is outstanding.
  • Kory from Atlanta, GaAs someone stated below this song is in my favorite movie of all-time, Dumb and Dumber. When Harry is hitch-hiking and you see Lloyd come over the horizon on that mini-bike this song is playing. Honestly, the movie is the only reason I know this song but I love it b/c of this guy's voice!
  • Marlow from Perth, Australiajust a great song!
  • Kirby from Yitc, TxWell I still think it's about abuse... and I am stickin' to that story. The "car crash" could be the boy's way of not letting the people at school know about his abuse. The girl's "birthmarks" could actually be bruises. The last story...um... i'm not real sure except maybe the parents made him come home right after school because they wanted to beat him or something and then they acted all "holy" at church?????
  • Nigel from Birmingham, EnglandI always thought this song was more about describing how destructive some religions and or parents can be. The first two verses describe children in situations that were caused by fate. (i.e. a car crash and birthmarks). The bridge acknowledges that these things are bad but the kid in the third verse had it much worse because his situation was caused purely by what his parents had imposed on him.
  • Jason from Wairoa, New ZealandCrash Test Dummies once played at the MuchMusic awards singing "Weird Al" Yankovic's version, 'Headline News' with the King or Parodies himself, both playing the music and Brad Roberts singing in his low low voice. The "Weird Al" version calls for the sound of kazoos right at the end. Al wasn't expecting to have this feature live on stage when singing with Brad Roberts, but was pleasantly surprised when all the CTDs suddenly whipped out kazoos and started "quacking" through the end of the song, Al's song fully finished minus the accordian bit just before the kazoo chant. CTDs... what a tribute!!!
  • Ilikemusic. from This Isn't A City, MdCould one say that this song is about different forms of abuse? I suppose one could make a case for it...
  • Jer from London, CanadaActualy ,Alex of new Orleans, BOTH "peter pumkin" head and "Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm" were included in Dumb and dumber.
  • Dat Le from Katy, TxActually, "MMM MMM MMM MMM" was played also, during the sad part when the two get mad at each other on the road
  • Alex from New Orleans, LaActually,Mark of London, "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" was included in Dumb and Dumber,not Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm.
  • Charles from Charlotte, NcI love the beautiful irony of a totally DUMB song being included in "Dumb and Dumber".
  • Jessica from Saint Louis, MoTo add to what Erik about Weird Al covering it, the three stories in "Headline News" were those of Michael Fay (the young man who was caned in Singapore for spray painting on cars), Tonya Harding, and John Wayne Bobbitt, all of whom had their 15 minutes of infamy around that time.
  • Anonymousbeautiful, beautiful song. i love it so much. even if it seems kinda twisted i love it!
  • Mark from London, Ontario, CanadaThis song was in the movie "Dumb and Dumber".
  • Dylan from Abby, CanadaThis was NOT actually the band's only hit, they had a hit with "Superman's Song" on their previous album "The Ghosts That Haunt Me".
  • Erik from Davis, CaThis song was covered by Weird Al. It was called "Headline News."
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