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/
Editions of You
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just waiting for the perfect view
I hope something special will step into my life
Another fine edition of you
A pin up done in shades of blue
Some don't play yourself for a fool
Too much cheesecake too soon
And don't let this happen to you
Sometimes you find you're yearning for the quiet life
The country air and all of its joys
But badgers couldn't compensate at twice the price
For just another night with the boys
And boys will be boys will be boys
They say love's a gamble hard to win easy to lose
And while sun shines you'd better make hay
So if life is your table and fate is the wheel
Then let the chips fall where they may
In modern times the modern way
And as I was drifting past the lorelei
I heard those slinky sirens wail (ooo)
So look out sailor when you hear them croon
You'll never be the same again oh no
Their crazy music drives you insane this way
So love me leave me do what you will
... who knows what tomorrow might bring
Learn from your mistakes is my only advice
And stay cool is the main rule
Don't play yourself for a fool
Too much cheesecake too soon
Old money's better than new
No mention in the latest tribune
And don't let this happen to you
The lyrics to Men Without Hats's song Editions of You speak about the singer's longing for someone special - another edition of someone they love. The opening line frames the song as a memory, with the singer looking through an old picture frame, waiting for the perfect view. They are nostalgic, searching for a perfect moment to relive, hoping that they will encounter someone special.
The song also warns against the dangers of excess and the importance of learning from one's mistakes. The line "Too much cheesecake too soon" serves as a reminder that indulgence can have negative consequences. The singer advises others not to make the same mistakes, to learn from their errors and not to play themselves for fools. This advice is reinforced by the line "Learn from your mistakes is my only advice/And stay cool is the main rule".
The song concludes with a warning of the unpredictable nature of life, encouraging listeners to let their chips fall where they may. Ultimately, the song speaks to the importance of balance and caution in a world that is often unpredictable and uncontrollable.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm here looking through' an old picture frame
I am reminiscing by looking through an old photo frame
Just waiting for the perfect view
I am waiting for something perfect to happen
I hope something special will step into my life
I hope that something special will come into my life
Another fine edition of you
Someone else like you, but different and unique
A pin up done in shades of blue
A picture that is blue-colored or depressed-looking
Some don't play yourself for a fool
Do not do something foolish and regretful
Too much cheesecake too soon
Having too much of something that is sweet or enjoyable too early
And don't let this happen to you
Do not let this kind of situation affect you
Sometimes you find you're yearning for the quiet life
Sometimes, you crave a peaceful and simple life
The country air and all of its joys
Enjoying the fresh air and pleasures of the countryside
But badgers couldn't compensate at twice the price
Even if it costs a lot of money, it would still not be worth it
For just another night with the boys
For just another night of hanging out with friends
And boys will be boys will be boys
Men will always act their age or not take things seriously
They say love's a gamble hard to win easy to lose
Love is unpredictable and difficult to obtain
And while sun shines you'd better make hay
Make the most of your time and opportunities
So if life is your table and fate is the wheel
If life were a game, and fate were the active player
Then let the chips fall where they may
Let things happen as they would naturally
In modern times the modern way
Live in the modern times with modern solutions
And as I was drifting past the lorelei
While I went past a rock, mythical in German culture
I heard those slinky sirens wail (ooo)
I heard feminine-looking lures or traps calling me
So look out sailor when you hear them croon
Be careful when you are called seductively
You'll never be the same again oh no
You will be transformed or change completely
Their crazy music drives you insane this way
Their insane music drives you in a different direction
So love me leave me do what you will
Love me but if you need to go or leave me, do whatever you want
... who knows what tomorrow might bring
Nobody can predict what will happen the next day
Learn from your mistakes is my only advice
Learn from your errors or regrets is my only suggestion
And stay cool is the main rule
The primary principle is to remain calm and collected
Don't play yourself for a fool
Do not deceive or trick yourself
Old money's better than new
Old and proven concepts are better than new and risky ones
No mention in the latest tribune
No recent references or acknowledgments in the news
And don't let this happen to you
Do not allow this scenario happen to you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRYAN FERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
HypnoToad72
0:42 in is when the song REALLY kicks off; multi-layered, really cool tracks comprising this song.
Bruno Villaizan
Esta música es la que debería prevalecer
Lynn Gustafson
How did I not know this cover existed until TODAY?!?! *Awesome!*
Alastair Ward
Lynn Gustafson I didn't know until 4 years later again.
Rich Delgado
Yeah, and I just found today...7/4/20!
boozypixels
I didn't know this was a cover
London
This is a cool little song. 🙂
Faustino Flores
Recordemos viejos tiempos en luis R Disco god times
Jenny Hatt
SO MUCH SYNTH!!!!!!!!!!!!
hanuhutsulka
brilliant !!!