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/
I Got the Message
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got the message and the message is clear
I really really really really wish you were here
It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes
It says I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet
I got the message and the message is proof
There really is a thing they call the rhythm of youth
It will pick you up and it will make you wiggle this way
Well it's mine (They got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
Not Yours (It says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
Get down (And everybody's doing it all over the land)
On all fours (Et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
It's long (I got the message and the message is clear)
And hard (I really really really really wish you were here)
This road (It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
To mars (I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet)
Got a good thing, yeah, got you going
Everybody's moving, watch out it's showing
I have done a good thing I've got you dancing, everybody's happy
I have done a good thing, I've got you moving, everybody's dancing
They're really grooving
I have done a good thing don't dansez moderne
Everybody's happy
[Chorus]
See'est mon (They got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
See'est toi (It says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
See'est nous (And everybody's doing it all over the land)
See'est cool (Et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
See'est long (i got the message and the message is clear)
See'est dur (i really really really really wish you were here)
Frappons (it was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
Nos tetes contre les murs
Me, you, us cool, long, hard, hit our heads against the wall
(I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet)
I got a good thing yeah, got you going
Everybody's moving, it's really showing
I have done a good thing I've got you dancing, everybody's happy
I have done a good thing, I've got you moving, everybody's dancing,
It's really groovy
I have done a good thing, don't dansez moderne
And Everybody's happy
[Chorus]
It's mine (they got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
Not Yours (it says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
Get down (and everybody's doing it all over the land)
On all fours (et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
It's long (i got the message and the message is clear)
And hard (i really really really really wish you were here)
This road (it was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
Road to mars (I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet)
The Men Without Hats's song, "I Got The Message," speaks to the rhythm of youth and how it has the power to make people dance and wiggle in a way that's easy to say but hard to explain. The lyrics convey the message that the singer has received from someone else, and it's clear that they wish that person was there with them. The message was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes, and it says that the singer hasn't really missed the person but hasn't tried yet. It speaks to the idea of not knowing what you have until it's gone.
The song emphasizes the power of rhythm on human emotions and actions. It encourages people to settle down and conform to societal expectations of getting a dog and a wife. It speaks to the idea of conformity in society and also highlights the desire for youthful recklessness and fun. The lyrics "Me, you, us cool, long, hard, hit our heads against the wall" imply the frustration that people often feel when trying to conform to societal norms or when trying to fit in.
Overall, the song has a catchy beat and speaks to the power of youth and the desire to break free from social norms. It conveys a message of longing for someone but also conveys feelings of frustration and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the message and the message is clear
I understand what you're saying and it's crystal clear
I really really really really wish you were here
I miss you a lot and wish you were here with me
It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes
I saw it written on a matchbox
It says I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet
I don't know if I miss you because I haven't given it a shot yet
I got the message and the message is proof
I received the message and I know it's true
There really is a thing they call the rhythm of youth
There's something called youthfulness that energizes you
It will pick you up and it will make you wiggle this way
It'll make you move, dance and shake your body
Et see'est facile a dire and it's easy to say
And it's easy to say
Well it's mine (They got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
I own my rhythm of life
Not Yours (It says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
It's not your life advice, but it suggests settling down with a pet and a spouse
Get down (And everybody's doing it all over the land)
Get on the dance floor and groove with everyone else
On all fours (Et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
Crawl on the floor, I don't understand what's going on
It's long (I got the message and the message is clear)
The path ahead is long, but I understand your message
And hard (I really really really really wish you were here)
The road is difficult, and I really miss you
This road (It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
This journey had a sign on a matchbox
To mars (I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet)
We're on a mission to Mars, and I don't know if I miss you yet
Got a good thing, yeah, got you going
Things are good, I got you excited
Everybody's moving, watch out it's showing
Everyone's dancing and it's apparent
I have done a good thing I've got you dancing, everybody's happy
I've made everyone happy by getting them to dance
They're really grooving
They're dancing really well
I have done a good thing don't dansez moderne
I've done something right, let's dance without any modern moves
See'est mon (They got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
It's my rhythm of life
See'est toi (It says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
For you, it suggests settling down with a pet and a spouse
See'est nous (And everybody's doing it all over the land)
For us, everyone across the country is doing the same thing
See'est cool (Et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
It's cool, but I don't really know what's going on
See'est long (i got the message and the message is clear)
The journey ahead is long, but I understand the message
See'est dur (i really really really really wish you were here)
It's tough, and I really wish you were here with me
Frappons (it was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
Let's hit our heads against the wall
Nos tetes contre les murs
Our heads against the walls
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY GIBBONS, DUSTY HILL, FRANK BEARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonm7923
I got the message and the message is clear
I really really really really wish you were here
It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes
It says I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet
I got the message and the message is proof
There really is a thing they call the rhythm of youth
It will pick you up and it will make you wiggle this way
Et see'est facile a dire and it's easy to say
Well it's mine (They got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
Not Yours (It says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
Get down (And everybody's doing it all over the land)
On all fours (Et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
It's long (I got the message and the message is clear)
And hard (I really really really really wish you were here)
This road (It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
To mars (I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet)
Got a good thing, yeah, got you going
Everybody's moving, watch out it's showing
I have done a good thing I've got you dancing, everybody's happy
I have done a good thing, I've got you moving, everybody's dancing
They're really grooving
I have done a good thing don't dansez moderne
Everybody's happy
I got the message and the message is clear
I really really really really wish you were here
It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes
It says I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet
I got the message and the message is proof
There really is a thing they call the rhythm of youth
It will pick you up and it will make you wiggle this way
Et see'est facile a dire and it's easy to say
See'est mon (They got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
See'est toi (It says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
See'est nous (And everybody's doing it all over the land)
See'est cool (Et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
See'est long (i got the message and the message is clear)
See'est dur (i really really really really wish you were here)
Frappons (it was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
Nos tetes contre les murs
Me, you, us cool, long, hard, hit our heads against the wall
I got a good thing yeah, got you going
Everybody's moving, it's really showing
I have done a good thing I've got you dancing, everybody's happy
I have done a good thing, I've got you moving, everybody's dancing,
It's really groovy
I have done a good thing, don't dansez moderne
And Everybody's happy
I got the message and the message is clear
I really really really really wish you were here
It was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes
It says I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet
I got the message and the message is proof
There really is a thing they call the rhythm of youth
It will pick you up and it will make you wiggle this way
Et see'est facile a dire and it's easy to say
It's mine (they got this thing they call the rhythm of life)
Not Yours (it says to settle down and get a dog and a wife)
Get down (and everybody's doing it all over the land)
On all fours (et oui je ne comprends pas oh yes I don't understand)
It's long (i got the message and the message is clear)
And hard (i really really really really wish you were here)
This road (it was written on the back of a carton d'allumettes)
Road to mars (I don't really miss you but I haven't tried yet)
@spiraljoe1273
I've loved this song since the day I bought the (vinyl) album as a teenager. Today I am nearing 60 and I still stream it.
@pt020
Same here .. Try I like.
@ScottethGwerqffq
Yes painfully underrated way ahead of their times, 80's the best divese music era!
@oldirtydasher
Only way to kick off a 80s quarantine dance party!!
@James-hr6qt
Cool song.
@SirKeeganPenney
shid that was a long dance party tho
@alainroy
@@SirKeeganPenney If I hear that song, I jump on the dance floor after 2 secondes... maybe 1!
@davids7912
I'm From Maine USA and up until the 80s there was a lot of French Canadian influence. It seems to be gone now. I also miss a lot of GREAT 80s music that came out of Canadian bands like Men Without Hats. I miss it. It was full of electricity and sharp focus. Men Without Hats helped define the 80s.
@robh1908
Have you not heard of "Arcade Fire" They both went to McGill University as did my wife. She knew Ivan and his nitwit brother.
@isabelladestegonzaga5529
bildermusik - musik aus bildern .
picture music - music from pictures.