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/
Nadine
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why don't you love me like you did again
Because lately, all the stars above
Have been holding hands and singing your name
Well unchain me from your ball of love
And I promise not to sin again
Because nadine, you're the only one
Drives all the boys crazy insane
The way that I hoped she would
Nadine's got that certain vibe
That makes you feel
You ain't doing the things you should
I said nadine, it's you I'm dreaming of
And there's one thing I wanted to say
And that's maybe, when all is said and done
We can be lovers at the end of the day
No one in this world
Makes me feel the way she do
Oh nadine made me feel so fine
And then she made me feel so blue
Well I just used to sit and smile
And think it wasn't meant to be
'cause I don't know
If you were mine
I don't think I would know just what to do with you
Nadine
I said nadine, tell me what you're thinking of
I said nadine, I'm in love
I said nadine, tell me about the stars above
I said nadine, I'm in love
The Men Without Hats song "Nadine" is a love song about a man who is infatuated with a girl named Nadine. The song opens with the singer asking Nadine what she is thinking about and why she doesn't love him like she used to. He mentions seeing stars and feeling restrained by her love, promising not to sin again if she will love him again. He then goes on to describe the effect that Nadine has on him, making him feel like he's not doing the things he should be doing, and saying that she's the only one who drives all the boys crazy insane. The singer dreams of a future with Nadine, where they can be together, and he expresses how much she makes him feel and how much he loves her.
The song seems to capture the intense feeling of first love and infatuation, where everything the other person does seems to have a profound effect on you. The band's use of catchy, danceable synth-pop adds to the energy and excitement of the song, making it a perfect addition to any '80s dance mix.
Line by Line Meaning
I said nadine, whatcha thinkin' of?
Asking Nadine what is occupying her mind
Why don't you love me like you did again
Wondering why Nadine's affection for him seems to have waned
Because lately, all the stars above
Explaining the reason for his question about her changed feelings
Have been holding hands and singing your name
Implying that other men have become interested in Nadine
Well unchain me from your ball of love
Asking Nadine to set him free from the hold she has on him
And I promise not to sin again
Making an assurance that he won't do anything wrong
Because nadine, you're the only one
Acknowledging that Nadine is the most important person to him
Drives all the boys crazy insane
Highlighting Nadine's attractiveness and desirability
She doesn't love me quite
Admitting that Nadine's feelings for him are not as strong as he hoped
The way that I hoped she would
Expressing disappointment with Nadine's level of affection for him
Nadine's got that certain vibe
Describing Nadine's unique personality and charm
That makes you feel
Emphasizing the effect that Nadine has on people
You ain't doing the things you should
Implying that Nadine's presence distracts people from their responsibilities
I said nadine, it's you I'm dreaming of
Admitting to fantasizing about Nadine
And there's one thing I wanted to say
Expressing a desire to communicate something important to Nadine
And that's maybe, when all is said and done
Proposing a hypothetical future scenario
We can be lovers at the end of the day
Suggesting that they could potentially have a romantic relationship
No one in this world
Making a bold statement about Nadine's uniqueness
Makes me feel the way she do
Describing the intense emotional response he has to Nadine
Oh nadine made me feel so fine
Acknowledging the positive impact Nadine has on him
And then she made me feel so blue
Admitting that Nadine's actions can also have a negative impact on him
Well I just used to sit and smile
Reflecting on past behavior
And think it wasn't meant to be
Speculating that he and Nadine are not fated to be together
'cause I don't know
Admitting to uncertainty
If you were mine
Questioning what would happen if Nadine were officially his
I don't think I would know just what to do with you
Expressing uncertainty about how to handle a relationship with Nadine
I said nadine, tell me what you're thinking of
Continuing to question Nadine's thoughts and feelings
I said nadine, I'm in love
Declaring his love for Nadine
I said nadine, tell me about the stars above
Asking Nadine to share her thoughts and feelings about something significant
I said nadine, I'm in love
Reiterating his intense emotions for Nadine
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IVAN DOROSCHUK, STEFAN GREGOR DOROSCHUK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind