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).
I Don't Depend On You
The Men Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So young
You could lose
You could gain
Your temperature's rising
Better pull into the outside lane
You always say you're not the jealous kind
Then you tell all your friends that I've got one thing on my mind
I've played this scene before, you had one foot in the door
But there's always plenty more, don't try to use me
I don't depend on you, I've got my own friends too
I'll never be your wife, don't try to use me
I've played this scene before, you had one foot in the door
But there's always plenty more, don't try to use me
It's cruel but it's true, I don't depend on you
It's cruel but it's true, go back to the end of the queue
I've played this scene before, you had one foot in the door
But there's always plenty more, don't try to use me
I don't depend on you, I've got my own friends too
I'll never be your wife, don't try to use me
I've played this scene before, you had one foot in the door
But there's always plenty more, don't try to use me
The night, so young
You could lose, you could gain
Your temperature's rising
Better pull into the outside lane
You always say you're not the jealous kind
Then you tell all your friends that I've got one thing on my mind
I've played this scene before, you had one foot in the door
But there's always plenty more, don't try to use me
I don't depend on you, I've got my own friends too
I'll never be your wife, don't try to use me
I've played this scene before, you had one foot in the door
But there's always plenty more, don't try to use me
It's cruel but it's true, I don't depend on you
It's cruel but it's true, go back to the end of the queue
It's cruel but it's true, I don't depend on you
It's cruel but it's true, go back to the end of the queue
The Men's song "I Don't Depend On You" is a bold statement of personal independence and self-respect. The lyrics describe a relationship in which the singer refuses to be used, even though it would be easy to do so. The first verse sets the scene of a young couple, with the temperature rising both literally and emotionally. The singer warns the other person to pull over to the outside lane, perhaps meaning that they should slow down or take a break before things get out of hand. The next few lines address the other person's jealousy and the way they gossip about the singer. The second verse repeats the idea that the singer has been through this before and won't be used. The chorus reinforces this sentiment, with the singer stating that they have their own friends and won't be anyone's wife. The final lines are a repetition of the opening verse, hammering home the message that the other person should stop looking to use the singer and go to the back of the line.
Overall, "I Don't Depend On You" is a song about emotional strength and standing up for oneself in relationships. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been hurt in the past and has learned from those experiences, making them less vulnerable to manipulation. While the other person in the song might think they have the upper hand, they are mistaken – the singer has more power than they realize.
Line by Line Meaning
The night
The current situation, generally nighttime
So young
Full of promise and possibility
You could lose
You have the ability to fail or miss out
You could gain
You have the ability to succeed or win
Your temperature's rising
Your emotions are becoming more intense
Better pull into the outside lane
You should take a step back and re-evaluate
You always say you're not the jealous kind
You claim to be secure and trusting in the relationship
Then you tell all your friends that I've got one thing on my mind
But you still gossip and spread rumors about me
I've played this scene before, you had one foot in the door
This situation is familiar, you've been here before, with one foot out the door
But there's always plenty more, don't try to use me
There are other options, don't manipulate or take advantage of me
I don't depend on you, I've got my own friends too
I am independent, I have my own support system
I'll never be your wife, don't try to use me
I won't commit to you, don't try to take advantage of me
It's cruel but it's true, I don't depend on you
It may be harsh, but it's reality, I don't need you to survive
It's cruel but it's true, go back to the end of the queue
Face the truth, you're not a priority or a necessity in my life
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MARSH, OAKEY, WARE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wolfgang
Listened again today and after knowing and loving this for 40 years for the first time it occured to me that the subject of this song (a woman declaring her independence) is basically the same as in "Don't You Want Me". Maybe my English was too bad back in the day to notice.
The Last Guitar Hero
always loved the bass on this
maribel bermudez
I love this song. Human league is fabulous 💋💋💋💋💋💋💋
Gil Reed
instrumental version is the best !!
toitoitoy
It is called Cruel
cbkbstudio
Some prototypical sounds for "Don't You Want Me" in the beginning, and then some "Being Boiled" stabs towards the end!
JUAN PABLO ARENA
And "Love action"
thdraws
Listening to this now, it does seem to be a template for the sound Oakey & co evolved into.
Ashley Pomeroy
I love the little "bong" noise at 03:10
Ian Craig
Edwyn was thinking of this when he wrote Rip It Up, I always thought.