Hanson celebrate their 25th anniversary on Australian tour and reveal what MMMBop is about

By | June 21, 2017

News.com.au

CHECK out the lyrics beyond the catchy chorus and that infectious 90s pop anthem MMMBop is not a shiny, happy song.
If it wasn’t shocking enough to discover Hanson are celebrating their 25th anniversary on this Australian tour — 25 years! — a close inspection of MMMBop reveals it to be a melancholic reflection on how nothing in life lasts.
Isaac was 15, Taylor, 13 and Zac, 11, when they wrote and recorded the song which would catapult them to global stardom.
They were singing about going through “pain and strife”, getting old and “losing your hair” — which hasn’t happened to any of the brothers.

It remains the highlight of any Hanson gig, even if the crowd still can’t quite sing along to that “Mmmbop, ba duba dop Ba du bop, ba duba dop etc” chorus.

Zac and his brothers believe it is one of the most misunderstood songs of all time.

“MMMBop is ironically happy (but) it says most things in life are going to fade away and most of the things that you think are important are going to be gone, all your friends are going to leave you, you’re going to be old and lose your hair, you are going to die so you figure out right now what’s important to you,” Zac said.

“The only way you are going to keep those things is by actively pursuing them.

“The tendency would be to bang your drum and beat your chest and say “We’ve been misunderstood’

“But I think it has served us … to be misunderstood.”

The trio set up their own record company in 2003 after becoming frustrated when major label mergers resulted in them having to work with executives who didn’t want the band despite having sold upwards of 16 million records of their breakthrough Middle Of Nowhere album.

Since then they have thrived as an international touring act and released four albums as well as proving to be successful entrepreneurs with their own MMMHops craft beer and destination festivals.

“In 2002 to 2004, our career could’ve been over,” Isaac said.

“We were basically flushed down the toilet by a label who didn’t sign us, who didn’t care about our career at that point.

“We saw the only way to have a career, to survive was to maintain control of our future.”

The next generation of Hanson entertainers made their debut in the video for their latest single I Was Born which features 11 out of 12 of their children.

The missing Hanson offspring from the clip, Taylor’s eldest son Ezra, has joined them on the Australian tour.

The video is beyond cute as all the cousins play and sing together and Zac said despite being prepared for a “full-tilt meltdown” on set, it was a fun shoot.

“They’re pretty well-behaved and it works out they all really like each other so it was fun for them,” Zac said.

Taylor added: “We each have a son who was born in the same year.”

Hanson perform at the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday, The Star, Gold Coast on June 24 and The Tivoli, Brisbane on June 25.

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