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/
The End
Men Without Hats Lyrics
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As we walk through the sea to the sand
Knowing full well that we're perfectly tuned
As we skip through our hearts, hand in hand
Will Jenny be older?
Will music be heard?
Will we all meet again
No sense in fooling, we're covered in dreams
Having too much fun flying to land
Floating waist high in ten colors of green
We're so small but we feel oh, so grand
Will Jenny be older?
Will music be heard?
Will we all meet again
At the end of the world?
End of the world
Will Jenny be older?
Will music be heard?
Will we all meet again
At the end of the world?
The end of the world
On Tuesday
End of the world
Pop goes the world
End of the world
In the name of angels
Pop goes the world
On Tuesday
The end of the world
The real world
Pop goes the world
On Tuesday
Pop goes the world
The lyrics of Men Without Hats song The End portray a positive and optimistic picture of the world coming to an end. The song begins with a picture of a surreal world full of unusual things such as matadors, monkeys, and balloons. The second line, "As we walk through the sea to the sand," refers to the end of the world where land and sea meet. The next line talks about how the world is perfectly tuned, suggesting that it is in harmony and everything is happening according to plan. The singer then mentions skipping through one's heart with someone hand in hand, indicating that they are enjoying the present moment and not worrying about the future.
The chorus repeatedly asks the same question about what will happen at the end of the world, suggesting that this is not a song about doom and despair, but about hope and curiosity. The second verse talks about how they will all be covered in dreams, suggesting that their imagination and creativity will be unaffected even if the world ends. They are floating waist-high in ten colors of green, which could represent different emotions or experiences, and they feel small but still grand.
The song then goes on to describe a nameless person "Jenny" and how they wonder if they will be older, and if they will all meet again at the end of the world. The phrase "pop goes the world" suggests something sudden and explosive, which is a common theme when dealing with the end of the world. The song ends on an upbeat note with the singer repeating the phrases from the chorus, and the mention of the "real world."
Line by Line Meaning
Matadors, monkeys, a million balloons
Our journey is filled with a variety of unique and extraordinary experiences
As we walk through the sea to the sand
We are traveling to an unconventional destination, somewhere that defies logic
Knowing full well that we're perfectly tuned
We are aware that we are in sync with each other and our surroundings
As we skip through our hearts, hand in hand
We are carefree and enjoying our journey, not worrying about what lies ahead
Will Jenny be older?
Will time pass by while we are on this journey?
Will music be heard?
Will there be something beautiful and harmonious to experience?
Will we all meet again
Will we reunite with the people we love and care about?
At the end of the world?
Will our journey ultimately lead us to the end of everything we know?
No sense in fooling, we're covered in dreams
We are fully immersed in our journey and all of the possibilities it holds
Having too much fun flying to land
We are enjoying ourselves so much that we don't want to come down
Floating waist high in ten colors of green
We are surrounded by an abundance of life, growth, and possibility
We're so small but we feel oh, so grand
Despite our small size and insignificance in the grand scheme of things, we feel big and important in our own journey
The end of the world
The ultimate end of everything, that which we fear but also are drawn towards
On Tuesday
It is a specific day, a date on the calendar
Pop goes the world
Everything comes crashing down, exploding with energy and life
In the name of angels
Our journey is blessed and guided by higher, more powerful forces
The real world
The mundane, everyday world that we must eventually return to
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: TONY MARTIN, MARK NESLER, TOM SHAPIRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind