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).
The Brotherhood
The Men Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still lost my pride
It was all because that so-called friend took me for a ride
He said, "We'll see the desert like you've never seen before"
Then lit some big cigar and locked all the doors
You've seen the brotherhood
'Cause I want you, I need you
The words of fallen creatures
Took the last damn thing from Anaheim
And cooked it in your kitchen, yeah
This is the brotherhood
It was so exciting
All booze and girls
With legs that told me, "Oh, you've been a naughty boy"
There was no fear
Just supermen
With their pants halfway to kingdom come
And dirty from the sand
You've seen the brotherhood
And now you know too much
'Cause I want you, I need you
The words of fallen creatures
Took the last damn thing from Anaheim
And cooked it in your kitchen, yeah
This is the brotherhood
We took a walk down this long hallway
We were followed by some working-class hair soufflé
Piled high up on that push-up bra
And rings that shined so bright
She made the lights go out in Chinatown
Made the fat man sing in the middle of the night
You've seen the brotherhood
And now you know too much
'Cause I want you, I need you
The words of fallen creatures
Took the last damn thing from Anaheim
And cooked it in your kitchen, yeah
This is the brotherhood
The Men's song "The Brotherhood" tells a story of betrayal and deception. The lyrics begin with the singer expressing that he did not play any games or pretend, yet he still lost his pride. This is because a so-called friend tricked him and took him for a ride. This friend promised to show him the desert, but instead, locked all the doors and lit a big cigar. This deception led the singer to witness the brotherhood- a group of men who indulge in booze, women, and irresponsible behavior. He then goes on to describe the women that they meet, the rings that shined so bright, and the way that the fat man sang in the middle of the night. The chorus of the song is about how seeing the brotherhood made the singer know too much, and now he is in danger because "the words of fallen creatures took the last damn thing from Anaheim and cooked it in your kitchen." This reflects how the singer is in danger after seeing too much of the destructive "brotherhood" and how he has lost his innocence and purity after experiencing its negative effects.
The lyrics of "The Brotherhood" are reflective of the destructive culture that a group of men can create. From the perspective of the singer, it shows the dark side of this culture, where friendship and loyalty are put to the test, resulting in betrayal and deception. The lyrics also reflect the excessive behavior and negative influence that can result from these kinds of situations. The singer idealized the brotherhood at the beginning of the song but, as the song progresses, he realizes the danger and harm it can cause.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't play no joker
I didn't take any risks or joke around
Still lost my pride
Despite playing it safe, I still ended up losing my self-respect
It was all because that so-called friend took me for a ride
My supposed friend deceived me and caused my downfall
He said, "We'll see the desert like you've never seen before"
He enticed me with the promise of a unique desert experience
Then lit some big cigar and locked all the doors
But instead, he trapped me in a room and smoked a cigar, leaving me helpless
You've seen the brotherhood
Now that you've witnessed the group's activities
And now you know too much
You've gained knowledge that may be dangerous or incriminating
'Cause I want you, I need you
The group desires to have you as a member
The words of fallen creatures
The group's words come from those who have strayed from the path of righteousness
Took the last damn thing from Anaheim
The group has taken something valuable or important from Anaheim
And cooked it in your kitchen, yeah
The group has brought their illicit activities into your personal space
This is the brotherhood
This group is bonded by secrecy, shared experiences, and possibly illegal activities
It was so exciting
The activities of the brotherhood were thrilling and captivating
All booze and girls
The group indulged in alcohol and women
With legs that told me, "Oh, you've been a naughty boy"
The women were sexually suggestive and teasing
There was no fear
The group members had no sense of danger or consequences
Just supermen
They felt invincible and powerful
With their pants halfway to kingdom come
The group members dressed in a way that showed their rebelliousness and lack of respectability
And dirty from the sand
They had been roughing it in the desert and were covered in dirt and grime
We took a walk down this long hallway
The artist and someone else walked down a hallway, possibly in a state of anticipation
We were followed by some working-class hair soufflé
They were being followed by someone with meticulously styled hair
Piled high up on that push-up bra
The person's breasts were emphasized by a push-up bra
And rings that shined so bright
The person had flashy, attention-grabbing jewelry
She made the lights go out in Chinatown
This woman was so alluring that her presence darkened a busy city district
Made the fat man sing in the middle of the night
Her influence was so strong that even an overweight man was moved to sing in the wee hours of the morning
Contributed by James A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.