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/
O sole mio
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O Sole mio
O Sole mio
Ha huh ha
So high give me your love, imagination
Run wild and tell me your mine,
I can never remember your name
So high give me your heart
More light I'm falling in love
And I want to remember the way
Mother mother can't you see
Everyone's in love with me
O sole mio
So far given the light of distant ages
Sometimes I can never be sure
I can only remember today
So now given enough I'll heat the stages
How far is the mountain above
Where I wasn't a potion away
Mother mother can't you see
Everyone's in love with me
But only I know
All the people in the square
Try to act like nothings there
Oh sole mio
I was a rainbow
I was a rainbow
So now give me your love in celebration
Of life and love, of fascination
So now give me your heart
My guardian angel no
Oh no, oh ho
I was a rainbow
Mother mother, can't you see
Something's wrong inside of me
Every time I try to say the words they don't come out right
Mother mother if you please
Life has got me on my knees
I'm expecting someone's love to come and hit me blindside
Mother mother, if you care
Tell me I am unaware
Of what I'm doing to your beauty and your holy love life
Mother mother if you please
Something's wrong inside of me
Every time I try to say the words they don't come out right
And me I was a rainbow
(o sole mio) repeat chorus over following:
So high give me your love imagination
Run wild and tell me your mine, I can never remember your name
So high give me your heart hey guardian angels
More light I'm falling in love and I want to remember the way
So high give me your love, imagination
Run wild and tell me your mine, I can never remember your name
So high give me your heart hey guardian angels
More light I'm falling in love and I want to remember the way
The lyrics to Men Without Hats' song O Sole Mio appear to be a fusion of stream-of-consciousness ramblings and an attempt at conveying the feeling of being in love. The opening lines of "So high give me your love, imagination, Run wild and tell me you're mine" seem to be a plea to the person they are addressing to allow them to fall deeper in love with them, while simultaneously imploring them to be open and honest in their feelings. It's unclear who the intended recipient of these words are, but the singer seems to be searching for a connection that's both profound and elusive.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more fragmented and abstract, with lines like "Sometimes I can never be sure, I can only remember today" expressing a sense of uncertainty and confusion. The repeated refrain of "Mother mother can't you see, Everyone's in love with me" is an interesting choice, as it's unclear whether the singer is genuinely seeking validation or is mocking the idea that everyone is supposed to be enamored with them. The line "I was a rainbow" seems to be a metaphor for the singer's emotional state, implying that they are experiencing a wide range of intense emotions that are difficult to contain or quantify.
Overall, the lyrics to O Sole Mio are a poetic expression of the complex emotions that come with being in love. The singer is searching for deeper connection and understanding, but is often hampered by their own self-doubt and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
O Sole Mio?
Questioning the listener if they are ready for the song.
O Sole mio
Oh my Sun, an Italian expression of admiration for the sun.
Ha huh ha
A vocalization adding emphasis to the following lines.
So high give me your love, imagination
Asking the listener to offer their boundless love and creativity.
Run wild and tell me your mine,
Encouraging the listener to express their feelings of possession over the singer.
I can never remember your name
Admitting to a lack of memory regarding the listener's identity.
So high give me your heart
Asking the listener to offer their deepest emotions.
Hey guardian angels
Addressing unseen protectors of the listener's well-being.
More light I'm falling in love
Asking for more illumination while confessing to a growing affection towards the listener.
And I want to remember the way
Desiring to commit the moment and feelings to memory.
Mother mother can't you see
Asking maternal guidance to interpret the singer's emotional state and social interactions.
Everyone's in love with me
Exaggerating the attention received by the singer from the crowd.
So far given the light of distant ages
Referencing a great distance in time or space.
Sometimes I can never be sure
Admitting to a lack of clarity or conviction.
I can only remember today
Stating a focus on the present moment and experience.
So now given enough I'll heat the stages
Building up confidence in performing in front of large crowds.
How far is the mountain above
Posing an existential question about the nature of reality and achievement.
Where I wasn't a potion away
Describing an alternate reality where success was more easily attained.
But only I know
Asserting an individualistic perspective and self-awareness.
All the people in the square
Describing a public gathering place or audience.
Try to act like nothings there
Commenting on the pretension or inauthenticity of social interactions.
Oh sole mio
Repeating the initial Italian phrase expressing wonder and admiration for the sun.
I was a rainbow
Comparing oneself to a beautiful and fleeting natural phenomenon.
So now give me your love in celebration
Requesting the listener's joyous and passionate affection.
Of life and love, of fascination
Valuing the wonder of existence and interpersonal connection.
My guardian angel no
Rejecting the idea of unseen protectors influencing the singer's fate.
Oh no, oh ho
Expressing a negative reaction to something unexpected or unpleasant.
Mother mother, can't you see
Repeating the request for maternal guidance and empathy.
Something's wrong inside of me
Admitting to emotional turmoil or confusion.
Every time I try to say the words they don't come out right
Describing difficulty expressing feelings verbally.
Mother mother if you please
Appealing with respect to a maternal figure for assistance.
Life has got me on my knees
Describing a feeling of being overwhelmed by circumstances.
I'm expecting someone's love to come and hit me blindside
Anticipating an unexpected and powerful romantic attraction.
Tell me I am unaware
Asking for admonition or correction concerning one's behavior or attitude.
Of what I'm doing to your beauty and your holy love life
Acknowledging one's impact on others' experiences and relationships.
And me I was a rainbow
Repeating the earlier metaphorical self-description while revealing one's vulnerability.
(o sole mio) repeat chorus over following:
Repeating the earlier chorus for emphasis and impact.
So high give me your love, imagination
Re-stating the request for passionate and creative feelings from the listener.
Run wild and tell me your mine, I can never remember your name
Reiterating the desire for expressions of intimacy and acknowledging difficulty with remembering details of the listener.
Hey guardian angels
Another address to hypothetical celestial protectors.
More light I'm falling in love and I want to remember the way
Repeating the idea of seeking clarity and memory of a fleeting romantic encounter.
So high give me your heart hey guardian angels
Ending the song with a reaffirmation of desire for the listener's emotional investment and support of a higher power.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Eduardo Di Capua, Afredo Mazzucchi, Giovanni Capurro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind