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Those of us searching for the moment in history that made the musical scourges known as the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync a potential future reality should look no further into the past than the summer of 1997. With the release of their first single, Ike, Tay and Zac – now known the world over as the Brothers Hanson – became seemingly overnight sensations. In an “MmmBop” the musical genre that presently drains the piggy banks of pre-teen girls around the globe was reborn from the ashes of Menudo, The Monkees, and New Kids on the Block. First appearing (twice!) on their independently released album MmmBop, the tune was remixed by the Dust Brothers for Hanson’s major label (Mercury) debut Middle of Nowhere. Since then “MmmBop” has been re-released on two of the four subsequent Hanson albums; the exceptions being a collection of Christmas songs released in 1998 called Snowed In and a batch of new originals entitled This Time Around released in 2000.

Watch MmmBop on YouTube Phish, "MmmBob" –  7/6/97, Desenzano, Italy

The first (and likely only) Phish performance of the song was during an open-to-the-public soundcheck for a show at Spiaggia Di Rivoltana, Desenzano, Italy on 7/6/97. In defiance of Trey’s assertion that “Hanson is going too far,” the Fishman of Soul belted out the insidious chorus in the guise of James Brown, and paid tribute to young Zac, doing it like an 11-year old “Sex Machine.” 

(Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson)
© Warner Chappell Music, Inc (ASCAP)

You have so many relationships in this life
Only one or two will last
You go through all this pain and strife
Then you turn your back and they're gone so fast
And they're gone so fast
So hold on to the ones who really care
In the end they'll be the only ones there
When you get old and start losing your hair
Can you tell me who will still care?
Can you tell me who will still care?

Mmm bop, ba du ba dop
Ba du bop, ba du ba dop
Ba du bop, ba du ba dop
Ba du

Mmm bop, ba du ba dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du

Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose
You can plant any one of those
Keep planting to find out which one grows
It's a secret no one knows
It's a secret no one knows
no one knows

In an mmm bop they're gone
In an mmm bop they're not there
In an mmm bop they're gone
In an mmm bop they're not there
Until you lose your hair
But you don't care

Can you tell me? You say you can but you don't know
Can you tell me which flower's going to grow?
Can you tell me if it's going to be a daisy or a rose?
Can you tell me which flower's going to grow?
Can you tell me? You say you can but you don't know

Mmm bop, ba du ba dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du