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/
Roses
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cover me in roses
When my time is up
Cover me in roses
Cover me
And when you cover me in roses
Just remember you're having fun
You can tell them it's only love
All the people stared in wonder
As the rings began
Tell them it's only love
When my time is up
Cover me in roses
When my time is done
Cover me in roses
Me
After you cover me in roses
Dream me upwards into the sun
And some will say it's superficial
But we both know it's quite enough
All the people stared in wonder
As the rings began
Tell them it's only love
And as the story goes so often
It will lead nowhere
Just tell them it's only love
When my time is done
Cover me in roses
When my time is up
Cover me in roses
Cover me
The song "Roses" by Men Without Hats is a contemplation on mortality, love and the human desire to leave a lasting impression. The chorus repeatedly asks to be covered in roses when the singer's time is up, implying that they want to be remembered as something beautiful and beloved. The repetition of this line adds emphasis to the desire for a peaceful departure from the world. The verse, "And when you cover me in roses, just remember you're having fun" recognizes the idea that beyond life, there is no use in worrying about trivial matters, and the best way to honor the departed is to celebrate their life.
The second verse brings up the idea that some may view the desire for roses as superstitious or superficial, but that it really is just a manifestation of love. The line, "After you cover me in roses, dream me upwards into the sun" implies the desire to be free and continue existing in a different form. The idea of dreaming upwards into the sun has celestial connotations, and perhaps represents the idea of a soul ascending into heaven. The final verse emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and the fact that all stories eventually lead nowhere. However, despite the ultimately transient nature of human existence, the lasting impact of love endures and is worth celebrating.
Line by Line Meaning
When my time is done
When I pass away
Cover me in roses
Place beautiful flowers over my body as a symbol of love and respect
When my time is up
When it's my time to go
And when you cover me in roses
When you place beautiful flowers over my body as a symbol of love and respect
Just remember you're having fun
Enjoy the moment and don't take it too seriously
And some will say it's superstitious
Some people may view this as a superstition or meaningless tradition
You can tell them it's only love
Explain to those who don't understand that it's a gesture of love and affection
All the people stared in wonder
Everyone watched in amazement
As the rings began
As two people exchanged wedding rings
Tell them it's only love
Explain that the marriage is founded on love and nothing more
After you cover me in roses
After my body is covered in beautiful flowers
Dream me upwards into the sun
Allow me to ascend to heaven, basking in the warmth of the sun's rays
And some will say it's superficial
Some may view this as shallow or meaningless
But we both know it's quite enough
But we both understand that it's a symbol of love and that's all that matters
And as the story goes so often
As is often the case in stories such as this
It will lead nowhere
It may not have a deeper meaning or purpose
Just tell them it's only love
Reiterate that it's all about love and nothing more
Cover me
Cover my body with beautiful flowers as a symbol of love and respect
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PAULO MENDONCA, TERENCE MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind