The Men began as an abrasive punk group before vastly expanding their sound… Read Full Bio ↴The Men began as an abrasive punk group before vastly expanding their sound to incorporate influences from country-rock to soul in addition to more accessible song structures. Initially forming as a trio in Brooklyn in 2008, they first made a national impact with the blistering noise rock of 2011's Leave Home, their second album. Released in 2012, Open Your Heart proved to be a breakthrough for the band, receiving rave reviews. It also signaled their shift beyond punk, and the Men continued to redefine their sound with ambitious, eclectic albums such as 2014's Tomorrow's Hits. They ventured back into confrontational noise rock with 2016's Devil Music. Retaining a stable lineup meant they could continue to stylistically branch out with albums like 2020's Mercy, or go back to abrasive punk rock with 2023's New York City.

Brooklyn's Nick Chiericozzi, Chris Hansell, and Mark Perro formed the Men as a scuzzy post-punk trio in 2008. Before recruiting drummer Rich Samis, they self-released the albums We Are the Men and Immaculada, as well as a few tapes. The band recorded in Python Patrol studio for its Sacred Bones debut, Leave Home, which was released in 2011. They returned the following March with Open Your Heart (their first album to include Samis as well as bassist Kevin Faulkner), expanding their musical palette to meld country, psych, and surf influences with their caustic, aggressive rock.

Their fourth album, New Moon, as well as their Campfire Songs EP, arrived in 2013; by this point, engineer Ben Greenberg (Hubble, Zs) had begun his brief tenure in the band. The Men continued their musical evolution, as well as their prolific streak, with their fifth album, Tomorrow's Hits, which found them moving further away from their hardcore roots toward the earnest blue-collar rock of artists like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. In 2016, the group revisited its noisy, more experimental side with the self-released Devil Music. Returning to Sacred Bones in 2018, the Men released Drift, their most eclectic album yet. Also that year, the group gathered tracks from early releases as well as previously unreleased material on the collection Hated: 2008-2011. 2020's Mercy was influenced by styles ranging from country to '80s arena rock. New York City, released by Fuzz Club Records in 2023, was a return to noisy, abrasive rock & roll.

Biography by Jason Lymangrover

There are other artists with the same name:

2. The Human League used the pseudonym to release the Chic-influenced single I Don't Depend On You in 1979, following pressure from their label to justify their large advance signing fee. The track resurfaced in 2003 with the re-release of Travelogue.

3. The Men is a Vietnamese pop music duo – Lê Hoàng and Tiến Dũng. Tiến Dũng rose to fame in the early 2000s as member of boy band Weboys. He left Weboys after his contract with Wepro Company was over in 3/2009. Hoàng used to be member of boy band B.O.M, he also left his band just a few months before The Men was formed.

4. 'The Men' are a Mod / R&B band from Sweden.

5. 'The Men' were an early 1990s Southern California rock group best known for the track "Church Of Logic, Sin, & Love." Two members of the group were, ironically, female.

6. 'The Men' were the psychedelic backup band for Shin Jung-hyun (신중현) during the early 70s. Their most notable album was 'It's A Lie' (거짓말이야), which included a blistering 20-minute rendition of the title track. They also appeared on a split LP with Jang Hyeon (장현).

Freaky
The Men Lyrics

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I see though the very hell
Money moon and the sick hotel
Just me and you got to know we'll die forward
Freaky line which we saw
I'd rather to be in the words alone

Just me and you got to know we'll die forward
To watch and see on here and there

Freaky love is all what we had
I know that time is coming closer

And I should want to go
I see though the very hell
Money moon and the sick hotel
Just me and you got to know we'll die forward

I've tasted some of us
Protect out the villain most
Just me and you got to know we'll die forward

To watch and see on here and there
Freaky love is all what we had
I know that time is coming closer

And I should want to go
I see though the very hell

Money moon and the sick hotel
Just me and you got to know we'll die forward

Overall Meaning

The Men's song "Freaky" is a haunting track that explores themes of love, death, and isolation. The opening lines "I see through the very hell, Money moon and the sick hotel" evoke a sense of desolation and hopelessness, suggesting a world that is corrupt and decaying. However, there is still a glimmer of hope in the chorus, as the lyrics "Just me and you got to know we'll die forward" suggest a determination to move forward in the face of adversity.

The song's title, "Freaky," is repeated throughout the track, adding an eerie and unsettling vibe. The lyrics "Freaky line which we saw, Freaky love is all what we had" evoke a sense of taboo, suggesting that the relationship between the two individuals is unconventional and perhaps even illicit. The line "I'd rather to be in the words alone" suggests a desire for solitude, perhaps as a way to escape the constraints and expectations of society.

Line by Line Meaning

I see though the very hell
Despite the difficulties we may face

Money moon and the sick hotel
The temptation and corruption of wealth and luxury

Just me and you got to know we'll die forward
You and I understand the inevitability of death and must make the most of our time together

Freaky line which we saw
Our unconventional and adventurous relationship

I'd rather to be in the words alone
I prefer solitude to the distractions of the material world

To watch and see on here and there
Observing various experiences from different perspectives

Freaky love is all what we had
Our love is exciting and unconventional, but it is what we have

I know that time is coming closer
I am aware our time together is limited and cherish it as much as I can

And I should want to go
Despite my desire to stay, I know that ultimately we will separate

I've tasted some of us
I have experienced the essence of our relationship

Protect out the villain most
We must guard against external forces that threaten our bond