Brooklyn's Nick Chiericozzi, Chris Hansell, and Mark Perro formed the Men as a scuzzy post-punk trio in 2008. Before recruiting drummer Rich Samis, they self-released the albums We Are the Men and Immaculada, as well as a few tapes. The band recorded in Python Patrol studio for its Sacred Bones debut, Leave Home, which was released in 2011. They returned the following March with Open Your Heart (their first album to include Samis as well as bassist Kevin Faulkner), expanding their musical palette to meld country, psych, and surf influences with their caustic, aggressive rock.
Their fourth album, New Moon, as well as their Campfire Songs EP, arrived in 2013; by this point, engineer Ben Greenberg (Hubble, Zs) had begun his brief tenure in the band. The Men continued their musical evolution, as well as their prolific streak, with their fifth album, Tomorrow's Hits, which found them moving further away from their hardcore roots toward the earnest blue-collar rock of artists like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. In 2016, the group revisited its noisy, more experimental side with the self-released Devil Music. Returning to Sacred Bones in 2018, the Men released Drift, their most eclectic album yet. Also that year, the group gathered tracks from early releases as well as previously unreleased material on the collection Hated: 2008-2011. 2020's Mercy was influenced by styles ranging from country to '80s arena rock. New York City, released by Fuzz Club Records in 2023, was a return to noisy, abrasive rock & roll.
Biography by Jason Lymangrover
There are other artists with the same name:
2. The Human League used the pseudonym to release the Chic-influenced single I Don't Depend On You in 1979, following pressure from their label to justify their large advance signing fee. The track resurfaced in 2003 with the re-release of Travelogue.
3. The Men is a Vietnamese pop music duo – Lê Hoàng and Tiến Dũng. Tiến Dũng rose to fame in the early 2000s as member of boy band Weboys. He left Weboys after his contract with Wepro Company was over in 3/2009. Hoàng used to be member of boy band B.O.M, he also left his band just a few months before The Men was formed.
4. 'The Men' are a Mod / R&B band from Sweden.
5. 'The Men' were an early 1990s Southern California rock group best known for the track "Church Of Logic, Sin, & Love." Two members of the group were, ironically, female.
6. 'The Men' were the psychedelic backup band for Shin Jung-hyun (신중현) during the early 70s. Their most notable album was 'It's A Lie' (거짓말이야), which included a blistering 20-minute rendition of the title track. They also appeared on a split LP with Jang Hyeon (장현).
Dark Waltz
The Men Lyrics
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19 and 74, it's true
How there's nothing I'll ever do
Drive the (???)
Pack my drinks
The dark waltz and the roll up the eyes routine
What is a man to do?
I lose the shire way
Sweet darl', hard to explain
And I'm singing this song
I'll sing it back to you
Eyes better, billboard rugs
So weak, that he carry a gun
It's true, a little mean son of a bitch, too
So, then he took the vent away
Saw the man dance away for you(?)
That's all he had to do
I lose the shire way
Sweet darl', hard to explain
And I'm singing this song
I'll sing it back to you
I saw you singing low
I'll sing it back to you
The Men's "Dark Waltz" is a song that portrays a sense of despair and confusion in its lyrics. The opening lines of "My Monday gets hard / 19 and 74, it's true / How there's nothing I'll ever do" implies that the singer is feeling stuck and hopeless, seemingly going through the motions of life where they only have the ability to go on auto-pilot. The line "Drive the (???) / Pack my drinks / The dark waltz and the roll up the eyes routine" suggests that he is either a performer or attending shows or concerts. The "dark waltz" he references could be a form of dance performed at these shows, or it could be a metaphor for his melancholic and hopeless state of mind. The line "What is a man to do?" shows his frustration, as he feels like he's trapped in his current circumstance.
The chorus is an interesting part of this song, as it repeats the line "I lose the shire way / Sweet darl', hard to explain / And I'm singing this song / I'll sing it back to you". The phrase "I lose the shire way" is unclear, but can be interpreted as the loss of an innocent and naive state of mind. The singer is trying to explain something to someone, but he finds it difficult to put into words. The line "I'm singing this song / I'll sing it back to you" could be his way of trying to communicate his struggles through music.
The second verse talks about a person who is carrying a gun and is "a little mean son of a bitch." It's unclear who this person is, but it could be someone the singer has encountered before. The line "Saw the man dance away for you(?)" is puzzling, but could mean that the person the singer is referring to is a skilled performer or dancer. The chorus repeats, again emphasizing his feelings of loss and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
My Monday gets hard
I often struggle at the start of the week
19 and 74, it's true
A specific year or age that holds significance, but it's not clear what that is
How there's nothing I'll ever do
Feelings of hopelessness or lack of purpose
Drive the (???)
Unclear, possibly a reference to a vehicle or mode of transportation
Pack my drinks
Preparing or gathering beverages for a trip or event
The dark waltz and the roll up the eyes routine
Possibly a reference to a performance or social situation where one is putting on a show of sorts
What is a man to do?
Expressing frustration with a situation or lack of control
I lose the shire way
Losing a sense of direction or purpose
Sweet darl', hard to explain
Referring to a person or situation that is complex or difficult to describe
And I'm singing this song
Using music as an outlet or expression of emotions
I'll sing it back to you
A promise to share or connect with others through music
Eyes better, billboard rugs
Unclear, possibly a reference to an unexpected sight or situation
So weak, that he carry a gun
An observation about someone who appears vulnerable or powerless, but is carrying a weapon for protection
It's true, a little mean son of a bitch, too
Acknowledging negative qualities in someone, but also recognizing that they may have their reasons for acting that way
So, then he took the vent away
Unclear, possibly a reference to an object or action that someone took
Saw the man dance away for you(?)
Witnessing an event or action where someone is leaving or distancing themselves
That's all he had to do
Implying that a simple action was enough to resolve a situation
I saw you singing low
Observing someone in a vulnerable or emotional state
I'll sing it back to you
Offering comfort or support through music
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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