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/
Things in My Life
Men Without Hats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there are things I will never forget
There are things I will cherish forever
And there are things I will always regret
Well I think that I'm in Scotland
And I'm walking through a forest in the rain
And I wonder if I'll fall in love again
We can never remember the things we always forget
There are things you can buy in a drugstore
There are things you can hang on your wall
There are things you can read in the paper
There are things that do nothing at all
Well I think that I'm in Scotland
And I'm walking through a forest in the rain
And I wonder if I'll fall in love again
We can never remember the things we always forget
Things like polyester pants and shoes don't make it easy to remember
Was it here or yesterday, or wasn't it the 14th of November
Well I think that I'm in Scotland
And I'm walking through a forest in the rain
And I wonder if I'll fall in love again
We can never remember the things we always forget
Well, I think that I'm invincible but when I think about it once again
I ask myself ";Is this the way things end?";
We can always remember the things we never forget
The lyrics of Men Without Hats' song "Things in My Life" are reflective and introspective, exploring the ideas of memory, regret, and the passage of time. The song lyrically sets up a contrast between things that the singer will never forget and things that he will never remember. The refrain of the song speaks to the idea that there are certain things that we always seem to forget, despite our best efforts to remember them. These things might seem insignificant or irrelevant, but they seem to stick around in our subconscious, popping up unexpectedly and taunting us with our inability to recall them.
The verse about being in Scotland and walking through a forest in the rain speaks to the idea of lost love and a desire to reclaim it. The setting is poetic and romantic, but it is also melancholic and wistful. The rain suggests sadness and tears, while the forest symbolizes the unknown and the possibility of getting lost. The singer wonders if he will ever fall in love again, suggesting that he has lost someone important to him and is struggling to move on.
The second half of the song explores the idea of memory in more detail, pointing out the arbitrary nature of what we remember and what we forget. The verse about things you can buy in a drugstore, things you can hang on your wall, things you can read in the paper, and things that do nothing at all speaks to the idea that memory is triggered by random things in our environment. The chorus repeats the idea that the things we always seem to forget are the things we can never remember, suggesting that memory and forgetfulness are intertwined in a complex and unpredictable way.
Line by Line Meaning
There are things I will never remember
There are details in my life that I cannot recall.
And there are things I will never forget
There are significant moments in my life that will always remain in my memory.
There are things I will cherish forever
There are people, experiences or things that hold great sentimental value to me.
And there are things I will always regret
There are things I wish I had not done, said or experienced in my life.
Well I think that I'm in Scotland
I imagine myself in a dream-like state, perhaps reminiscing on memories or desiring to be in a faraway place.
And I'm walking through a forest in the rain
I visualize myself journeying through a natural environment, encountering the unpredictable aspects of the world.
And I wonder if I'll fall in love again
I ponder if I will ever experience the intense feeling of romantic love once more.
We can never remember the things we always forget
It is impossible to recall the things that we habitually forget.
Things like polyester pants and shoes don't make it easy to remember
The mundane details of life, such as clothing we wear, do not hold a strong presence in our memories.
Was it here or yesterday, or wasn't it the 14th of November
Uncertainty and confusion can cause us to question the accuracy of our recollection of memories.
Well, I think that I'm invincible but when I think about it once again
I at times feel confident and believe I am capable of anything, however that notion is not always firm.
I ask myself ";Is this the way things end?";
I question whether my current state or encounter is leading to an ultimate conclusion, and what that may entail.
We can always remember the things we never forget
The experiences, moments or people that hold significant importance to us will always remain in our memory.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IVAN DOROSCHUK, JEREMIE ARROBAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Blue Greenglue
Dedicating this listen to my late husband who - along with me - discovered Men Without Hats in high school and was never the same. Part of the soundtrack of our youth, our marriage, and now my memories of the most beautiful man who ever lived.
Katey Barker
@Blue Greenglue I did the exact same thing this morning. Thank you for your kind words and shared experience.
Blue Greenglue
@Katey Barker Music and memories are inextricably entwined. Found myself singing this song again yesterday while walking the dog. I'm sorry for your loss as well.
Katey Barker
It reminds me of my son’s late father. We lost him last year to cancer. I adored him in the space in time this song came out.
DJL
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your post touched me. ❤️
BlurredMan100
Fantastic song by a very underrated band. Love this track.
Cole Storm
I will never forget this jam.....I'll always remember
revalesq
Listening to this whole thing I understand WHY this was my favorite band when I was 13! :D
tech9803
The synth part at the end is really nice.
Your Left Ear Will Thank Me
Agreed. Too bad it is so short.