They emerged in the early 80s with an EP called 'Folk of the 80s', a work released in 1980 that showed the Doroschuk family's interest in the electronic sounds of the progressive rock scene. After picking up some local success, the group erupted onto the international scene a couple of years later with their hit single "The Safety Dance". Parent album 'Rhythm of Youth' did very well, reaching all the way to the #13 slot on the Billboard 200 chart. Touring showed that they had captured their own distinctive audience.
Still, the band faced a tough time living up the expectations put upon them by the success of "The Safety Dance", which had a popular music video and hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their follow-up tune "I Like", similar in synthpop spirit, received far less airplay. Their 1984 album 'Folk of the '80s (Part III)' showed the group in flux, the ever shifting 80s music scene seemingly leaving them behind.
Though saddled with the 'one hit wonder' label, Men Without Hats burst back into American and Canadian popular consciousness with their 1987 release 'Pop Goes The World'. The title track reached the #20 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #2 on the Canadian Singles Chart, and, showing a return to form, the group also devised a compelling music video that had considerable interest. The songs themselves showed a mix of lyrical bite and meta-commentary on the nature of fame as well as understated, even children's music inspired instrumentation and vocals.
"Pop Goes The World" ended up being also featured in the 1987 comedy film 'Date with an Angel', and it became the fifteenth biggest selling single in South Africa for 1988, showing the international appeal of the band. Ivan and Stefan Doroschuk alongside Lenny Pinkas made-up the group at that point. The touring band incorporated Bruce Murphy on keyboards and guitar, Marika Tjelios on bass, Richard Sampson on drums, and Heidi Garcia on vocals and keyboards.
Their next album, 'The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century', was released in 1989. Though getting a bit of interest from having featured a cover of ABBA's song "S.O.S.", the commercial failure of the album showed that their audience had significantly dwindled. The musicians on the album were essentially the touring band from 'Pop Goes the World'.
The band lasted as an electronic group as such into the early 90s, but they decided to drastically change their sound for 1991's 'Sideways'. The aptly-tilted album saw them aping contemporary alternative rock. Alienating many fans, the album didn't even relieve an American release. Soon after this deep career setback, the band officially disbanded.
As time went on, the group's iconic international hits "The Safety Dance" and "Pop Goes The World" continued to receive major airplay, leading some to label the group as a 'two hit wonder'. Ivan Doroschuk and keyboardist Bruce Murphy would record several demos in 1993, for a concept album tentatively titled 'UFO's are Real'. Yet it never was released.
After a few more years, Ivan Doroschuk returned to being a solo artist with the album 'The Spell' in 2000. He decided to perform simply as Ivan. In 2003, Men Without Hats partly reformed, and Ivan self-released the album 'No Hats Beyond This Point'.
On September 24, 2010, Ivan Doroschuk reformed Men Without Hats as a full group, with three hired backup musicians, and his band appeared at the Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Performing ten songs from the Men Without Hats back catalog, the Ivan-fronted band (described by the Austin American-Statesman as "simply singer Ivan Doroschuk and some hired guns" and by Stefan as a "tribute band") began the "Dance If You Want Tour 2011" with a well attended and positively received performance at Austin's South by Southwest event in March 2011. At the North by Northeast festival in Toronto on June 18, Ivan announced that Men Without Hats would be releasing a new studio album and that it tentatively would be entitled 'Folk of the 80s: Part IV'.
On June 19, 2011, the group played at the Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Stefan Doroschuk, though rumored to be returning to his brother's group, announced his intention to continue working separately. On March 6, 2012, Ivan Doroschuk's band announced via Facebook that their upcoming album would be called 'Love in the Age of War'.
On 22 April 2012, Men Without Hats released the new single "Head Above Water" from the aformentioned album. Their line-up at that time was Ivan Doroschuk, Lou Dawson, James Love and Rachel Ashmore. 'Love in the Age of War' finally came out on May 22, 2012 in Canada and on June 5, 2012 in the U.S. Their seventh album, it was also the group's first full studio release after a nine-year hiatus.
The band's 2013 tour found them traveling to San Diego, California as well as Mexico City. Going into 2014, the group is still going strong. See: http://safetydance.com/
Cocoricci
Men Without Hats Lyrics
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Nous sommes en haut we are high
Nous sommes en bas we are low
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Nous sommes les uns we are the ones
Nous sommes les autres we are the others
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Nous sommes en haut we are high
Nous sommes en bas we are low
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
La il m'a dit he tells me
Cheri je t'aime dear I love you
As tu une voiture? do you have a car?
Non merci je conduis pas no thanks I don't drive
Mais mon pere en a plus d'une but my father has more than one
C'est tres simple dit-il it's very simple he tells me
Avec un tres assure with assurance
On est pirate ou on ne l'est pas one is a pirate or one isn't
This is the only way this is the only way
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Nous sommes capables we are capable
Nous sommes tres forts we are very strong
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Nous sommes les uns we are the ones
Nous sommes les autres we are the others
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses and that's the way things go
Men Without Hats's song "Cocoricci" seems to be a commentary on the human condition and the way things tend to fall into place. The "thieves' tango" part of the title indicates that perhaps the singer and the other people mentioned in the song are not entirely law-abiding citizens. The lines "Nous sommes en haut" and "Nous sommes en bas" (we are high/we are low) suggest that they fluctuate between highs and lows in life, just like the rest of us. The repetition of "Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses" emphasizes the idea that things just tend to happen a certain way, beyond our control.
The second part of the song seems to be a conversation between the singer and a significant other. The lover is asking if the singer has a car, but the response is that they do not drive. The lover then suggests that they steal a car with the assurance that they are pirates, or not afraid to take what they want. This again speaks to the idea of not following societal norms and doing what one wants, rather than what is expected.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on how humans tend to feel trapped in their circumstances but also have the power to take control and do what they want. The repeated line "and that's the way things go" implies a resignation to the way things are but also a suggestion that there is power in acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
Cocoricci, de tango des voleurs
This is the thieves' tango
Nous sommes en haut
We are on top
Nous sommes en bas
We are below
Et c'est comme ca que vont les choses
And that's just how things go
Nous sommes les uns
We are the ones
Nous sommes les autres
We are the others
La il m'a dit
Then he said to me
Cheri je t'aime
Darling I love you
As tu une voiture?
Do you have a car?
Non merci je conduis pas
No thanks, I don't drive
Mais mon pere en a plus d'une
But my father has more than one
C'est tres simple dit-il
He says it's very simple
Avec un tres assure
With great assurance
On est pirate ou on ne l'est pas
Either you're a pirate or you're not
This is the only way
This is the only way
Nous sommes capables
We are capable
Nous sommes tres forts
We are very strong
Contributed by Camden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.