… Read Full Bio ↴The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts (vocals, guitar) and his distinctive bass-baritone voice. The band members have fluctuated over the years, but its best known line-up consisted of Roberts, Ellen Reid (co-vocals, keyboards), Brad's brother Dan Roberts (bass guitar, backing vocals), Benjamin Darvill (harmonica, mandolin), and Mitch Dorge (drums, percussion). The band is best known internationally for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" and best known in Canada for the 1991 single "Superman's Song".
After a multi-year hiatus, the band returned in 2015 with a tour and the new charity single "Promised Land" which was a collaboration with Marc Mysterio[1] following up his remix of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".
The origin of the Crash Test Dummies is tied to the history of two Winnipeg nightspots, the Spectrum Cabaret and the Blue Note Cafe, owned by Curtis Riddell.
In the mid-1980s, Riddell joined with Brad Roberts to form the decidedly less-than-serious bar band Bad Brad Roberts and the St. James Rhythm Pigs. Over time, the band evolved into the Crash Test Dummies, a name suggested by a friend of the band who was in medical school. The diagnostic mannequin, known colloquially as a crash test dummy, was known to the public already by this time. Ellen Reid and Benjamin Darvill became permanent additions. George West, the original bass player, quit and was replaced by Dan Roberts, Brad's brother. Riddell was replaced by Vince Lambert, who was fired and replaced by Mitch Dorge just before the release of The Ghosts That Haunt Me.
After signing with BMG Records in 1991, the band signed with manager Jeff Rogers (Swell).
In the summer of 2017, the full band, except Benjamin Darvill, reunited for a show in Winnipeg and Brad Roberts went on a tour of South Africa in early 2018.
In July 2018, a reunited photo of Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts, and Mitch Dorge was posted on the official Crash Test Dummies Facebook page, along with the announcement of Canadian Tour Dates for the fall.
Throughout their career, Crash Test Dummies have experimented with many different styles and genres of music. These styles include the acoustic folk rock of The Ghosts That Haunt Me, the electric alternative rock of A Worm's Life, the urban influences of Give Yourself a Hand, and the optigan-based compositions of Oooh La La!.
Crash Test Dummies recorded as a full five piece band from their debut album The Ghosts That Haunt Me until Give Yourself a Hand. At this time, the most notable instrumentation of the band's music included Brad Roberts' lead guitar, Ellen Reid's keyboards, and Benjamin Darvill's harmonica. Another notable element of Crash Test Dummies' music are the contrasting harmonies between Brad Roberts' deep lead vocals and Ellen Reid's backing vocals in the higher register.
Beginning with I Don't Care That You Don't Mind in 2001, the band's albums were recorded primarily by Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, and a rotating roster of session musicians.
One of the biggest influences for Brad Roberts was the band XTC and Andy Partridge in particular. The band even went on to cover two of XTC's songs: "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" for the soundtrack to the film Dumb and Dumber, and "All You Pretty Girls" for the XTC tribute album A Testimonial Dinner.
And So Will Always Be
Crash Test Dummies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And saw a crippled man
He couldn't raise his glass to lips
So crippled were his hands
I stopped and watched, but could not
Bring myself to lend a hand
And so it is, and so it was
These things will be the way they will
And I will be this me
One day I was humming
A simple melody
When I heard birds whistling their tunes
From high up in the trees
My song seemed but a trifle now
They sang so beautifully
And so it is, and so it was
And so will always be
These things will be the way they will
And I will be this me
And now I listen to wind
As I lay down to bed
The snow has just begun to fall
And cover all that's left
The tops of fences, tips of trees
And stones that mark the dead
And so it is, and so it was
And so will always be
These things will be the way they will
And I will be this me
The Crash Test Dummies' song, "And So Will Always Be," discusses the idea of acceptance and resignation to the world's imperfections. The first stanza describes the singer seeing a crippled man and feeling helpless to assist him due to the severity of the man's disability. The next stanza delves into the singer's realization that his own musical abilities pale in comparison to those of the birds. Finally, in the third stanza, the singer listens to the sound of the wind outside as he goes to sleep, observing the snow beginning to fall, covering everything in its path. Each of these moments is meant to reflect the cyclical nature of human life, the understanding that things have always been and will always be the way they are.
The lyrics' melancholic tone intensifies the song's message of acceptance and reminds us that there are harsh and unsettling truths about life that we must learn to accept. The contrast between the singer's powerlessness in helping the crippled man and his insignificance compared to the birds highlights the interdependence of life's elements and our shared struggles as human beings. The final image of snow covering everything, including gravestones, reinforces the idea of life's transience and our inevitable end.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I went out walking
During one of my walks
And saw a crippled man
I observed a man with a disability
He couldn't raise his glass to lips
His hands were too injured to lift a drink to his mouth
So crippled were his hands
The disability was severely limiting his hands' normal functions
I stopped and watched, but could not
I paused and observed, yet didn't offer any assistance
Bring myself to lend a hand
I wasn't able to extend any aid to him
And so it is, and so it was
The situation stands, as it had happened before
And so will always be
Such circumstances are likely to transpire again in the future
These things will be the way they will
Events unravels in a particular manner, beyond anyone's control
And I will be this me
I can only perceive things from my singular outlook
One day I was humming
At a moment in time, I was humming
A simple melody
A basic tune
When I heard birds whistling their tunes
I listened to birds chirping melodiously
From high up in the trees
While perched atop tree branches
My song seemed but a trifle now
My own melody appeared insignificant compared to the birds' tunes
They sang so beautifully
Their singing was extremely pleasing to hear
And now I listen to wind
Currently, I'm hearing the sound of the wind
As I lay down to bed
When I'm preparing myself to rest for the night
The snow has just begun to fall
Fresh snowflakes have only just started falling
And cover all that's left
And it conceals everything on the ground
The tops of fences, tips of trees
The accumulative snow is covering the upper ends of the boundaries and trees
And stones that mark the dead
The presence of snow is hiding the grave markers
And so it is, and so it was
It appears to be just like it was beforehand
And so will always be
It might persist this way for all eternal
These things will be the way they will
Life will always have these similar norms
And I will be this me
Regardless, I'll still have my own unique perception
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.