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 Safety Dance
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance
And if they don't dance
Well, they're no friends of mine
Say, we can go where we want to
A place where they will never find
From out of this world
Leave the real one far behind
And we can dance
Or sing
We can go when we want to
Night is young and so am I
And we can dress real neat
From our hats to our feet
And surprise 'em with the victory cry
Say, we can act if we want to
If we don't, nobody will
And you can act real rude and totally removed
And I can act like an imbecile
And say, we can dance, we can dance
Everything's out of control
We can dance, we can dance
They're doing it from pole to pole
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody look at your hands
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody's taking the chance
Safety dance
Oh well, the safety dance
Ah yes, the safety dance
We can dance if we want to
We've got all your life and mine
As long as we abuse it, never gonna lose it
Everything'll work out right
I say, we can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
Because your friends don't dance
And if they don't dance
Well, they're no friends of mine
I say, we can dance, we can dance
Everything's out of control
We can dance, we can dance
We're doing it from pole to pole
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody look at your hands
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody's taking the chance
Oh well, the safety dance
Ah yes, the safety dance
Oh well, the safety dance
Oh well, the safety dance
Oh yes, the safety dance
Oh, the safety dance, yeah
Well, it's the safety dance
It's the safety dance
Well, it's the safety dance
Well, it's the safety dance
Oh, it's the safety dance
Oh, it's the safety dance
Men Without Hats' "Safety Dance" is a catchy and upbeat song that encourages individuals to let loose and dance freely. The chorus, "We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind," suggests that people should not hold back or be afraid to dance. The lyrics highlight the idea that dancing can be a liberating experience and can allow individuals to break free from social constraints. The song encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and not be afraid to express themselves through dance.
The lyrics also suggest that the "safety dance" is a metaphorical way of escaping society's rules and expectations. By dancing, people can create their own world, separate from the real world, where they can act as they please. The lyrics "And we can act like we come from out of this world, leave the real one far behind" demonstrate this idea. The "safety dance" is a way of creating a safe space where people can let loose, be themselves, and dance their hearts out.
Overall, "Safety Dance" encourages individuals to be confident in themselves and not let societal norms limit their freedom of expression. The song's catchy beat and upbeat melody make it a timeless classic that continues to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
We can dance if we want to
We have the freedom to dance if we desire
We can leave your friends behind
We do not have to stay with those who do not share our interests
'Cause your friends don't dance
Our friends who do not dance are not compatible with us
And if they don't dance
If our friends do not dance, they are not worth our time
Well, they're no friends of mine
Those who do not dance are not true friends
Say, we can go where we want to
We have the freedom to go where we desire
A place where they will never find
We can go to a location where others cannot find us
And we can act like we come
We can pretend as if we are from another planet
From out of this world
From a world that is not this one
Leave the real one far behind
We can leave the reality behind and be whoever we want to be
And we can dance
We have the freedom to dance
Or sing
We have the freedom to sing
We can go when we want to
We have the freedom to leave whenever we desire
Night is young and so am I
We have plenty of time to do what we want
And we can dress real neat
We can dress in a way that makes us happy
From our hats to our feet
We can dress up completely
And surprise 'em with the victory cry
We can surprise others with our dance moves
Say, we can act if we want to
We have the freedom to act however we want
If we don't, nobody will
If we do not act, then nobody will act for us
And you can act real rude and totally removed
We can act rudely and without care for others
And I can act like an imbecile
We can act silly and foolish if we want to
And say, we can dance, we can dance
We can express our freedom to dance
Everything's out of control
The situation is wild and chaotic
They're doing it from pole to pole
Others are also expressing their freedom to dance
Everybody look at your hands
Pay attention to the moment and enjoy it
Everybody's taking the chance
Everyone is taking the opportunity to have fun
Safety dance
A dance that is safe and enjoyable
Oh well, the safety dance
Ah yes, the safety dance
Ah yes, the safety dance
The safety dance is a great experience
We've got all your life and mine
We have our own lives to live
As long as we abuse it, never gonna lose it
As long as we use time wisely, we will never run out of it
Everything'll work out right
Everything will fall into place
I say, we can dance if we want to
We have the freedom to dance if we desire
Because your friends don't dance
Our friends who do not dance are not compatible with us
We're doing it from pole to pole
We are expressing our freedom to dance wherever we go
Oh, the safety dance, yeah
The safety dance is a great experience
Well, it's the safety dance
The safety dance is a fun and enjoyable experience
It's the safety dance
The safety dance is a dance that is safe and enjoyable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ivan Doroschuk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind