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/
How Does It Feel
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To feel no arms surround you?
How does it feel
To sleep out in the rain?
Doesn't seem real
Keep your wits about you
When it seems that things around you
Make you doubt you'll see the rain again
How does it feel
To live your life in danger?
How does it feel
To lose your only friend?
Doesn't seem real
Peace and love are strangers
And it seems that even angels
Doubt you'll never be the same again
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
How does it feel
When everything around you
Makes you doubt you'll ever see the rain again?
Never see the rain again
Never be the same again
Never see the rain again
Never be the same
How does it feel
To feel no love inside you?
How does it feel
To live life on the run?
Doesn't seem real
Your hopes and dreams will guide you
Seems like everyone besides you
Thinks you'll never be the same again
How does it feel
To feel no arms around you?
How does it feel
To sleep out in the rain?
Doesn't seem real
How you keep your wits about you
Now, when everything around you
Makes you doubt you'll see the rain again
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
How does it feel
When everything around you
Makes you doubt you'll see the rain again
The song "How Does It Feel" by Men Without Hats is a contemplative piece about the feeling of loneliness and disconnection from the world. The lyrics express the questions of how it feels to be without love, support, and understanding, and how it can make one doubt the possibility of ever finding those things again. The repeated question of "how does it feel" emphasizes the emotional weight of these experiences and the reluctance to accept that this is the reality.
The first verse specifically references the physical absence of arms and the discomfort of sleeping out in the rain, which could be literal or metaphorical representations of the lack of comfort and safety. The second verse talks about living in danger and losing a friend, which could imply a traumatic experience. The third verse brings up the idea of feeling like an outsider and being on the run, which could be interpreted as feeling rejected by society.
Overall, the song evokes a sense of hopelessness and despair, while also showing the resilience of the human spirit in keeping one's wits about them during difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
How does it feel to feel no arms surround you?
What does it feel like to have no one there to comfort you?
How does it feel to sleep out in the rain?
What does it feel like to be alone and in despair?
Doesn't seem real, keep your wits about you
Stay strong and don't lose yourself, even when things seem hopeless
When it seems that things around you make you doubt you'll see the rain again
During tough times, it can be hard to believe that things will get better
How does it feel to live your life in danger?
What does it feel like to constantly be in harm's way?
How does it feel to lose your only friend?
What does it feel like to be completely alone?
Peace and love are strangers
Living a life filled with conflict and sadness makes peace and love feel distant and impossible
And it seems that even angels doubt you'll never be the same again
Even the divine seem to doubt that you'll ever find your way back to your old self
When everything around you makes you doubt you'll ever see the rain again
During challenging times, it can be hard to believe that things will ever be okay again
How does it feel to feel no love inside you?
What is it like to feel completely emotionally empty?
To live life on the run?
What is it like to constantly be on the move to avoid danger or negative circumstances?
Your hopes and dreams will guide you
Your aspirations can give you hope and motivation even during dark times
Seems like everyone besides you thinks you'll never be the same again
It can feel like everyone has given up on you and your ability to recover from setbacks
Now, when everything around you makes you doubt you'll see the rain again
Even in the present moment, it feels impossible to see a brighter future
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRED EBB, NORMAN L. MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind