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/
Hey Men
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody told me to live is a lie
But I know better got a woman inside
Tells me things that I should understand
'cause I know better even though I'm a man
So many things go in so many ways
Every single moment like a judgment day
Thank goodness things are gettin better for sure
Love is the cure
Uh huh
Oooh yeah
Now I ain't stupid but I can't understand
Why so many things are gettin so out of hand
Think we should wonder what the problem could be?
All the world over sing "I want to be free"
Don't really matter what you think of me now
'cause I got the message
The message is wow
Got everything, got nothing to hide
I got.. what?
I got a woman inside
Uh huh
Oooh yeah
I said, hey men.
Quit knocking your children 'round
I say, hey-hey men.
Quit mowin your women down
'cause it's all in the way
That you look at who you are
So hey hey men
Quit looking so far
Oooh yeah
Land of the free is a poor alibi
I learned my lesson when I learned how to fly
Sounds so silly but I think its the truth
I got the message
The message is you
Somebody told me that we live in a dream
Sounds like something that you hear on t.v.
Got everything even though I'm a guy
Feels so good
I got a woman inside
Uh huh
Oooh yeah
I said, hey men
Quit pushin your women 'round
I say, hey -hey men
Quit knockin' your children down
'cause it's all in the things
That you do with what you are
So, hey hey men
Whatcha been doing so far?
Playing guitar!
I said, hey men.
Quit knocking your children 'round
I say, hey-hey men.
Quit mowin your women down
'cause it's all in the way
That you look at who you are
So hey hey men
Quit looking so far
Epilogue:
We got more rock and roll than we ever deserved
Some of us were fishes, some of us were worms.
We got more rock and roll than we ever deserved
Some of us were fishes, some of us were worms.
Take it away [?ermways?]
The song “Hey Men” by Men Without Hats is an upbeat, energetic song with a clear message. The lyrics speak to the importance of love and respect, urging men to treat women and children better. The first few lines reflect the idea that living is a lie, which is contrasted with the message of the woman inside who provides a clear understanding of how to live right. The song also touches on the fact that the world is facing several problems and highlights the need for people to be free from these issues. The central message of the song is that love is the cure, and that attitude and behavior are key to creating a better world. The song also highlights the idea of having a woman inside, which can be interpreted to refer to a more nurturing, caring, and empathetic side that men can possess.
The lyrics of “Hey Men” invite engagement from the listener by asking men to introspect and reflect on their behavior and attitude towards women and children. The phrase “hey men, quit knocking your children 'round” can be interpreted as a call to end physical and emotional abuse of children by men. Similarly, the phrase “hey men, quit mowin your women down” can be interpreted as a need to stop violence and discrimination against women. The song also speaks to the importance of self-awareness and the need to question one's actions and beliefs. The lines “'cause it's all in the way that you look at who you are / So hey hey men quit looking so far” urge men to introspect and to understand and appreciate the woman inside.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!
Starting the song with a greeting to the listener or addressing someone to grab their attention.
Somebody told me to live is a lie
Someone informed me that life is nothing but a lie or an illusion.
But I know better got a woman inside
I am aware of the truth as I have an inner calming voice, a woman inside me, who guides me through the ups and downs of life.
Tells me things that I should understand
This feminine voice inside me lets me know the valuable things that I would often miss and should understand.
'cause I know better even though I'm a man
Though I belong to the opposite gender, the femininity that exists within me lets me know the secrets of life.
So many things go in so many ways
Numerous circumstances happen in our lives, and each one of them might lead us in different directions.
Every single moment like a judgment day
Each moment of our life is critical and critical, like judgment day or a very important day of our lives.
Thank goodness things are gettin better for sure
Luckily, things are improving for me for sure.
I got the message
I understood the message or got the knowledge to live life more positively through the feminine voice inside me.
Love is the cure
Love can heal every problem and is the remedy for all the issues that a person confronts in life.
Now I ain't stupid but I can't understand
Though I am not a fool, I cannot comprehend.
Why so many things are gettin so out of hand
I cannot understand why things are getting worse and worse.
Think we should wonder what the problem could be?
I believe we should explore and question what the issue might be.
All the world over sing 'I want to be free'
People worldwide are singing the same song of liberation and freedom.
Don't really matter what you think of me now
It doesn't matter what others think of me at present.
'cause I got the message
As I got the message already, it improved my life and thoughts.
The message is wow
The message was outstanding or stunning.
Got everything, got nothing to hide
I have everything in life and can be transparent, having nothing to hide.
I got.. what?
The singer is confused or perplexed and wonders what they got or achieved.
I got a woman inside
The voice inside the singer is the feminine, representing the charming and comforting character and energy.
I said, hey men.
The singer addresses the men and directs his message to them primarily.
Quit knocking your children 'round
Stop hurting your child physically or emotionally, who often pays the dues for the mistakes that they never made.
I say, hey-hey men.
Again, he repeats the same message, asking men out there to listen to him closely.
Quit mowin your women down
Stop dominating or subjugating women and treat them with respect and love.
'cause it's all in the way
The whole problem lies in their perception and behavior towards the family members.
That you look at who you are
He asks them to reflect upon their essential self and think about whether their actions match with their values or not.
So hey hey men
He addresses men to listen to him for one more time.
Quit looking so far
Stop searching or seeking solutions too much and try to focus on the basics and simple things that can help you get out of the problem easily.
Land of the free is a poor alibi
He criticizes or comments about how a nation or society describes itself about liberty but struggles to offer it even to this day.
I learned my lesson when I learned how to fly
He gained valuable knowledge of life during his flight or journey, probably embracing the universe's vastness while exploring or traveling.
Sounds so silly but I think its the truth
Though it feels absurd, he thinks it's the pure knowledge, and no one can ignore it.
I got the message
He again confirms that he got the messages, and now he understands the essence of life.
The message is you
The artist thinks that the message is not an abstract concept, but we can learn it from people or through personal interactions.
Somebody told me that we live in a dream
Again, he shares someone's statement that life can also be an illusion or dream-like; seems unreal.
Sounds like something that you hear on t.v.
He mocks that such dialogues often gimmick in the television and media industry and sells dramatized, nonexistent stories.
Feels so good
All these messages rooted in true knowledge of life which made his heart full of goodness and joy.
I got a woman inside
He reminds the listeners that the feminine voice within him gives him the much-needed peace and guidance for his growth.
I said, hey men.
He now repeats his statement with a bit more force and conviction towards listeners.
Quit pushin your women 'round
He again directs men not to dominate or suppress their female partners in any way.
Whatcha been doin' so far?
He asks men about what they achieved or accomplished till now by subjugating and hurting their women physically or emotionally.
Playing guitar!
The singer jokingly notes that he has been playing guitar but still respects women as he knows that it's an essential message to all the men out there.
Epilogue
The outro or conclusion part of the song.
We got more rock and roll than we ever deserved
The previous generations had access to more art forms like rock and roll, which they could enjoy and cherish more than any present generation.
Some of us were fishes, some of us were worms.
We came from different origins, and some were primitive, while others were complex in the journey of evolution.
Take it away [?ermways?]
It is a creative way to end the musical as to let the instrumental part take the lead, which is the soul of rock and roll music.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IVAN DOROSCHUK, STEFAN GREGOR DOROSCHUK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debb A
Thank You..Loved this song from day 1, had a hell of a time finding it..Kudos!!!
GORGOROTH42
wow haven't heard this in almost 20 yrs this tune should be on their greatest hits album class song
Colemann76
i agree, it really should have been a hit.
Rebel1029
Thanks for posting this! Love the song, but I always felt the lyrics were too 'heavy' for such a 'cheery' sounding tune. Kinda like singing 'walking on sunshine' to the music of 'philadelphia.'
Jarski J.
Thanks, this sounds good. Never heard this before, I only do own their first lp.
TNTTONE
Good song, great group. miss the 80's. Much More Retro was a great music channel, wish they bring it back.
James Davis
I said, hey men Quit pushin your women 'round I say, hey -Hey men Quit knockin' your children down 'Cause it's all in the things That you do with what you are So, hey Hey men Whatcha been doing so far? *** Amazing lyrics but too deep for a Top 40 hit. . .
Tage Kaliandrino
I really liked the song Safety Dance. Men Without Hats, Prefab Sprout & Scritti Politti were three bands I really liked from the mid 80s. Thanks Marny for sending this to me.
YOUNG4EVERRR
love it, i would like to purchase this song but can't find it anywhere Help!!!!!
gobruin1
Ivan Doroschuk is of Ukrainian origin and is the frontman of Men Without Hats. Doroschuk was born in Illinois, and at a young age he and his family moved to the city of Montreal, Quebec, where his mother became a member of the music faculty at Montreal's McGill University..... I was merely responding to the comment that someone made stating that they he was "French." Being "French" means your ancestors came from France. His did not. It is perfectly reasonable to learn the local language.