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/
Jenny Wore Black
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jenny wore white - WHITE!
And jenny was real
But almost not quite
And jenny was here
She was almost inside
And jenny was real
But jenny was frightened by the way
And jenny could see
She was only a child
Jenny concealed all but her smile
And when she smiled we said hey HEY!
You'll never see clear with tears in your face hey!
You'll never see clearly anyway
I said I loved you blindly, and I do
We're only two strangers in ways
We shall say
Jenny wore black
Jenny wore white, WHITE!
And jenny was real but almost not quite (la la la la la la)
And jenny was here she was almost on time
And jenny was real
But jenny was frightened by the way
We looked at her
And jenny could see within us for a while
Jenny revealed all but her smile
And when she smiled we said hey HEY!
You'll never see clear with tears in your face hey!
You'll never see clearly anyway
I said I loved you blindly, and I do
We're only two strangers in ways
We should say
You always caught my eyes where
The dreams peter in
And I can't remember
Wherever I've been
There's still holes for my eyes
Where the dreams peter through
All I can remember
Is when I was with you
We say hey HEY!
You'll never see clear with tears in your face hey!
You'll never see clearly anyway
I said I loved you blindly, and I do
We're only two strangers in ways
We shall say
The lyrics to Men Without Hats's song "Jenny Wore Black" are a poignant reflection on the complexities of human relationships and the various ways we choose to conceal our true selves from the world. The song focuses on a character named Jenny, who alternately wears black and white and seems to be struggling with issues of identity and self-expression. The line "Jenny was real but almost not quite" suggests that she is having trouble reconciling her true self with the image she presents to others, perhaps due to societal pressures or a fear of being judged. Additionally, the line "Jenny was frightened by the way we looked at her" implies that she is acutely aware of the judgement and scrutiny she faces from others.
The chorus of the song - "You'll never see clear with tears in your face" - speaks to the idea that emotional turmoil can cloud our perception of the world and prevent us from seeing things clearly. The singer's confession that "I said I loved you blindly, and I do" also underscores the idea that love is often a complicated and messy emotion that can be difficult to reconcile with our own feelings of fear and insecurity.
Overall, "Jenny Wore Black" is a powerful and emotionally charged song that speaks to the human experience of trying to navigate our own identities and emotions within the context of a larger society.
Line by Line Meaning
Jenny wore black
Jenny chose to wear black clothing
Jenny wore white - WHITE!
Jenny also wore white clothing, and the singer exclaims this loudly
And jenny was real
Jenny was a real person
But almost not quite
However, she was seen as almost not being a 'real' person due to her demeanor
And jenny was here
Jenny was physically present
She was almost inside
She was almost accepted by the others around her
But jenny was frightened by the way we looked at her
Jenny was scared of the way others judged her
And jenny could see she was only a child
Jenny was able to realize that she was still very young and innocent
Jenny concealed all but her smile
Jenny hid most of her emotions, but her happiness was still visible
And when she smiled we said hey HEY!
The singer and others around Jenny would celebrate her happiness with enthusiasm
You'll never see clear with tears in your face hey!
Crying will only cloud your ability to perceive things accurately
You'll never see clearly anyway
It's difficult to see things clearly, even without tears
I said I loved you blindly, and I do
The singer confesses their love for Jenny, even if it's not fully rational
We're only two strangers in ways we shall say
Despite their feelings for each other, the singer and Jenny don't fully understand each other and remain strangers in some ways
And jenny could see within us for a while
Jenny was eventually able to understand the perspectives of those around her
Jenny revealed all but her smile
Jenny showed her true emotions, except for her happiness, which she still tried to keep visible
You always caught my eyes where the dreams peter in
The singer was always drawn to Jenny, even in their dreams
And I can't remember wherever I've been
The singer can't recall where they've been, likely due to being distracted by thoughts of Jenny
There's still holes for my eyes where the dreams peter through
The singer still has vivid memories of Jenny in their dreams
All I can remember is when I was with you
The singer's fondest memories are of spending time with Jenny
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IVAN DOROSCHUK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind