Can't Break My Stride

About

“Can’t Break My Stride,” also known as “Ain’t Nothing Gonna Break My Stride” is a YTMND fad that originated from a 2006 YTMND consisting of a clip from My Name Is Earl Season 1, Episode 9, “Cost My Dad The Election” set to the 1983 hit Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder. The fad has evolved to include clips of other people or characters with strides that cannot be broken as well as remixes of the Earl clip.

Origin

The song “Break My Stride” was released in 1983, where it reached number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It had been used in several commercials and was covered by dance group Unique II and German band Blue Lagoon.

On February 26th, 2006, YTMND user syncan created the first Can’t Break my Stride YTMND. It has been viewed over 130,000 times.

In the scene, Earl, the protagonist of the series, is chased by a “no-legged man” after an encounter with the “no-legged” man’s girlfriend. For more information on the episode and the series, see the episode guide.

Lyrics

Ain’t nothing gonna break my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no
I got to keep on moving
Ain’t nothing gonna break my stride
I’m running in a one touch ground, oh no
I got to keep on moving

Derivatives

YTMND

Many spinoffs were created in 2006, like Big Time Stride, with over 144,000 views, Christian Bale – You BROKE my STRIDE with over 27,000 views, and How My Stride Did Not Gets Broked by Jake, age 9 with over 23,000 views.

After the appearance of the Earl clip, it became popular to use the song as the background music for other people’s strides:

• Can’t Break Mega Man’s Slide, February 2006, 37,000+ views
• Can’t Break The Juggernaut’s Stride, March 2006, 61,000+ views
• Can’t Break Ni--a’s Ride, April 2006, 44,000+ views
• Can’t Break Cheech’s Stride, April 2006, 30,000+ views
• Can’t Break Donkey Lips’s Stride, April 2006, 29,000+ views
• Cant Break Mustangs Stride, April 2006, 16,000+ views
• Can’t Break Neo’s Stride, May 2006, 35,000+ views
• Can’t Break Red Power Ranger’s Stride, May 2006, 35,000+ views
• Can’t Break Walken’s Stride, June 2006, 23,000+ views
• Can’t Break Kool-Aid Man’s Stride, June 2006, 20,000+ views
• Cant Break Hans Stride, June 2006, 18,000+ views
• Can’t Break Jungle Hunt’s Stride, June 2006, 17,000+ views
• Can’t Break Dracula’s Stride, June 2006, 16,000+ views
• Cant Break This Truck’s Stride, July 2006, 21,000+ views

A few months after the original went up, people began using the music to showcase those with broken strides:

• Can’t Break Scotty’s Stride, May 2006, 195,000+ views
• Can’t break this Stormtrooper’s stride, June 2006, 25,000+ views
• Can’t Break Jack Sparrow’s Stride, July 2006, 49,000+ views
• Tommy’s Stride, July 2006, 17,000+ views
• Can’t break Eastwoods stride, May 2007, 23,000+ views

Additionally, a few sites parodied the Earl clip:

• Can’t Break Darth Vader’s Stride, April 2006, 89,000+ views
• Can’t break Cosby’s Stride, April 2006, 86,000+ views

YouTube

YTMND was not the only place to see “Break My Stride.” Since 2006, there have been parody and remix videos of the song:

Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends, June 2006

Assorted movie clips, July 2006

The Sims, June 2007

Stick Figures, August 2007

Texas Chainsaw Massacre, November 2007

Maple Story / My Name Is Earl mashup, December 2007

Thomas the Tank Engine, March 2008

Various dancing images, May 2008