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Men Without Hats — The Safety Dance
Album: Greatest Hats
Avg rating:
6.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 604









Released: 1997
Length: 2:44
Plays (last 30 days): 0
We can dance if we want to
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

I say, we can go where we want to
A place where they will never find
And we can act like we come from out of this world
Leave the real one far behind

And we can dance

We can dance if we want to
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
And we can act like we come from out of this world
Leave the real one far behind

And we can dance
(''Dansez!'')

We can go when we want to
The 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

''S-A-F-E-T-Y
Safe, 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
Oh, it's the safety dance
Oh, it's the safety dance
Oh, it's the safety dance
Comments (150)add comment
Its like a Time Marker. This song sums the 80's, musically.  
Me and Jeff, in the kitchen of The House in South Boulder, 1983-'84, singing, madly, "~WE CAN DANCE IF WE WANNOOOH~!" as we mix blenders full of drinks amid such an atmosphere of weed we can barely see Kevin and Kurt laughing at us over at the table, where the all-night Risk game was to continue...
You can see all the locations in the "Safety Dance" music video on Google Street View.  Just look around West Kington, UK.
 
Here's the opening clip location, for example. The other locations are pretty close in to the center and east side of town.
 
Gen-X approved!
I'm looking at my hands and awaiting further instruction. 
Guess you had to be there.
I was there.
and I love this song.
Well......I like it! So there!
 forthbrdge wrote:

Hey! Ivan is wearing a hat in the Wiki photo! I want my money back!


They're Men Without HATS (plural)
Guess that means they're allowed *1* hat.... <grin>  
Make it stop! 
 phlattop wrote:

good lord– who is giving this anything above a 7? It was an execrable novelty hit back in the day and has not aged well.


Maybe I am an imbecile. Definitely a 7.
Classic 80s, I can still remember the folky video
"Ivan Doroschuk, has explained that "The Safety Dance" is a protest against bouncers prohibiting dancers from pogoing to 1980s new wave music in clubs when disco was declining and new wave was coming in. ... Thus, the song is a protest and a call for freedom of expression."
Life is too short not to dance! 
good lord– who is giving this anything above a 7? It was an execrable novelty hit back in the day and has not aged well.
In the the pic here Ivan Doroschuk is wearing a hat.
 As long as you have a mask... 
 Mackmoney3000 wrote:





Yes... we were THAT high back in the 80's... I still don't remember much in the that decade. 
Just looked at the Wiki page and one of the Men Without Hats is wearing a hat?  Why?
Hey! Ivan is wearing a hat in the Wiki photo! I want my money back!
Saw them back in the day at Canada's Wonderland with The Spoons.  The Spoons were excellent...Men Without Hats, not so much....

I'd gladly never hear from them again...this is a novelty track if you ask me...2 all day...



Oh man, haven't heard this in forever! Love it!

Solid 80s dance/ disco music.
 EchoTony wrote:
Fun, silly nonsense song. I can't agree with a 1, but a 10? C'mon...
 
It is fun.
safety dance 
kazuma wrote:
Not even one Gram Parsons track on RP, just one from Mott the Hoople, and not a thing from the great Marshall Crenshaw, but we get this brain-clotting junk. Why??
Agree with you on Gram/Mott. Marshall Crenshaw belongs on a geek channel with the Proclaimers, though.
Not even one Gram Parsons track on RP, just one from Mott the Hoople, and not a thing from the great Marshall Crenshaw, but we get this brain-clotting junk. Why??
rtkmusic wrote:
eek!!!
Ack!
This song kills me, but I like the Weird Al version better.
junebaby65 wrote:
Brings back horrible memories of my first year in college in 1983...
you too, huh?
S-s-s-s, A-a-a-a, F-f-f-f, E-e-e-e, T-t-t-t, Y-y-y-y.....
Love it! An 8.
Wow. Slice of the '80s indeed.
Oh YES you did!!! Excellent! This song is infectious, got hold of me once upon a time and now I'm hooked.
Now, if this was "Pop Goes The World" it'd get at least a 5, but... I'll be nice... a 3. Please don't play this anymore
Sometimes it can feel great to be in high school again
I wonder if this song was ever popular in gay clubs.
Brings back horrible memories of my first year in college in 1983...
How can someone dislike this bit of 80's fluff?
(chime) "You are now free to dance about the office."
handyrae wrote:
I'd love to know who the 12 people are who gave this a 10! This just isn't a song -- whether I like it or not-- that I can see anyone thinking is Godlike. Those 12 people and their God(s) must have a unique view of life--which isn't a bad thing.
Yeah it's a fun pop song from the 80s, but it's nothing godlike for sure. I give it a 5.
eek!!!
Oh no you didn't!
Servo wrote:
One hit wonder.
Men Without Hits?
It was all a bit tongue in cheek and, if you ever watched the video, this would be more apparent. I do not think they wanted to be taken seriously but just wanted a bit of fun and, by the look of it, that is what they got. Bill seems to agree with his comments i.e. a soft spot for this song after watching the video on MTV. More irreverence please Bill
.. didn't like it then, don't like it now ..
I appreciate that this a a mindless dance song so it's not quite a 1. Not sure it really fits RP though. Rating, 2.
Really? No. C'mon. Somebody is 'acting like an imbicile' that's for sure.
fredriley wrote:
Nice bit of silly fun, and I vaguely remember when this came out. Did this bunch every produce any other hits, or were they yet another one-hit wonder?
Their "Pop Goes the World" album is a classic bit a pop and is worth a purchase. I would not judge any musical artist by their status as a "one-hit wonder" as so much good music never gets to the radio. Just look a the RP playlist for example.
fredriley wrote:
Nice bit of silly fun, and I vaguely remember when this came out. Did this bunch every produce any other hits, or were they yet another one-hit wonder?
One hit wonder. I don't think that I ever saw the MTV video (I didn't even own a TV at the time), but it was one of those great tunes to play really, really loud. Still is.
Nice bit of silly fun, and I vaguely remember when this came out. Did this bunch every produce any other hits, or were they yet another one-hit wonder?
eastcoast wrote:
Too much 80's crap on today
Yep....I'd stay away from that stuff too given the chance!
tee hee
Fun, silly nonsense song. I can't agree with a 1, but a 10? C'mon...
na-ah
OK it's silly nonsense - but I love it! Let's make it an 8!
Les Hommes San Chapeaux, as they're known here in the Great White, where you learn just enough French to be functional in "Franglais". Je ne get it pas, um, either.
Glad we are in an imperfect world. greg6494 wrote:
in a perfect world, this would be followed by Abba, Dancing Queen.
Too much 80's crap on today
woozurdaddy wrote:
Um...why??
Um...yeah, why?
in a perfect world, this would be followed by Abba, Dancing Queen.
I've just joined the twelve, because I have an irrational weakness for songs about dancing. I mean, read it: You can dance if you want to; We can leave your friends behind, 'Cause your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, then they're... no friends of mine! Doesn't it just make you *happy*? That said, I'm not really inclined to argue with those who gave it a rating of one... heh. ...speaking of songs about dancing, could someone pretty please upload "Dance Around The World" by Blerta? I am away from my CDs. Similar sentiment... I've always loved the random spoken interlude: And so they danced until they came to a beautiful castle. There lived a prince with his two wise tutors and two guards. "Come! Dance around the world with us!" said the man in brown. "But no!" cried the tutors. "For a prince must learn of law and justice." "But a prince should also know the sound of the wind on the trees, and the song of the crickets," said the man in brown. "He must stay!" they said, "and learn of government and diplomacy!" "But surely a tutor, a teacher, should know the secrets of the moon and know the feel of a mountain stream on his feet..." "But we must guard him!" said the guards. "Surely even a *guard* should know the feel of the wind on his face and the song of the birds." And so they threw down their books and gowns, threw open the gates, and danced out into the world.
Man, comic relief is the only reason to play that. Any time you see terms like "wacky tune" or "classic 80's synth-pop", you know you're in trouble. Marginally entertaining video, but no good reason to play it on the radio.
I'd love to know who the 12 people are who gave this a 10! This just isn't a song -- whether I like it or not-- that I can see anyone thinking is Godlike. Those 12 people and their God(s) must have a unique view of life--which isn't a bad thing.
TheLoneIguana wrote:
Or as they're known today: Men Without Jobs.
i just wanted to bring this comment up to the top where it belongs!
Patti wrote:
Lighten up! This is just a fun song! Come on...you are secretly tapping your feet and bobing your head! :)
I am not ready for the 80's come back... but come they shall.
just went from 7 to 8 - so funny!
One of the very first videos I EVER saw on MTV... this and New Moon on Monday by Duran Duran. Wow, that was a long time ago.
You're making it awefully hard to work today with all these toe-tappers and sing-alongs!
Corny, but brings back memories of those easy times in the 80s as a kid.
SCJoniguy wrote:
Still lousy after all these years.
ah..yeah
normand64 wrote:
I worked for the security at one of their show in my home town of montreal back in 1980something. It was fun but no panties or no bra thrown at the band too bad. Normand
As I recall none of the members really inspired panty-throwing. Chris Isaak, maybe, but not Men Without Hats!
Cheese in a can!
Lighten up! This is just a fun song! Come on...you are secretly tapping your feet and bobing your head! :)
No. Freakin'. WAY.
Moormann wrote:
This is nightmarish. Please don't play this tune ever again.
Worst thing I've ever heard on RP, no question about it. I may have to recalibrate my entire rating scale upwards to give this track its own rank.
Jester wrote:
ah another 80's pop song that gave rise to hiring midgets for videos...I never thought I'd hear this on RP.
it was Ren-Faire-rific!
This is nightmarish. Please don't play this tune ever again.
Just try not to make the "S", I dare you!
ah another 80's pop song that gave rise to hiring midgets for videos...I never thought I'd hear this on RP.
Bill, do you hate me? What have I done to you? This song is pure, unadulterated evil.
schandle wrote:
Classic 80's synth-dance pop. Also, one has to love it when one-shot-wonders like these guys release a greatest hits album. (Or, in this case, a greatest Hats album.)
They were slightly better than a "one-hit-wonder". I know "Pop Goes The World" and "Where Do The Boys Go?" got enough airplay for me to remember these songs 20 years later. Speaking of "Where Do The Boys Go?"... Someone PLEASE upload this other wacky tune! Men Without Hats may not achieve "Godlike" status for their music but on the "fun-o-meter", they most definitely would be right there with the funniest! (just writing this post has had me laughing all the way through, reminiscing about the good times! More funnies please! Sometimes having a good laugh is better than listening to "Godlike" music only!)
I worked for the security at one of their show in my home town of montreal back in 1980something. It was fun but no panties or no bra thrown at the band too bad. Normand
Corny, yes. But hearing this song brings back fond memories of being in grade school and dancing around ridiculously (not unlike the dancers in the video) with my friends so for that reason alone, I must rate this a Most Excellent - 8.
Classic 80's synth-dance pop. Also, one has to love it when one-shot-wonders like these guys release a greatest hits album. (Or, in this case, a greatest Hats album.)
NewHorizons wrote:
...Thanks for the memories, Bill
The second I heard it, I said: "Ayoye!" (kind of "Ha!") :) Thanks for the memories, Bill
woozurdaddy wrote:
Wow, total blast from the past....I once was on a softball team called "Met Without Bats" named after this band....
The Eunichs?
Still lousy after all these years.
Of course the day I forget to take loratidine is the day there's '80s in the air. ::achoo::
ANNE_MARIE wrote:
times two. This is wierd and wacky stuff.
From the sublime of Dance the Night Away to the ridiculous of The Safety Dance. Okey dokey.
Wow. The website just changed on me. Looks good! I don't care how bad this song (or the video) is. I still love it... it makes me smile :)
\:D/ Makes me feel like a kid again! What's up with the smilies... are they not working??
At least we can be grateful that they played the mercifully short radio-edit version here.
Yay! what fun! psycholynx wrote:
A great song to unwind your knickers to! Lighten up and have some fun. My kids have made this one of our most popular car songs.
JayA1969 wrote:
no, it hurts, make it stop, please....i only picture some tall doofus dancing with one arm over his body and a bunch of midgets....
Absolutely, let's hear it for fun! My musical tastes run the gamut, from this to Kate Bush to AC/DC to John Renbourn to Sly and the Family Stone to great Medieval and Renaissance music - it's *all* good!
I'm a child of the 80's and I can be as nostalgic as the next guy, but this just sucks.
Chair dancing is safe, innit?
<-- big smile
no, it hurts, make it stop, please....i only picture some tall doofus dancing with one arm over his body and a bunch of midgets....
I like the Nintendo-like sounds in the background. Everybody look at your pants!
Flying_Donut wrote:
I give it a 9, simply because it was the silliest video ever. What fun!
Yay! Hooray for fun!
Yikes! Reminds me of college days in Michigan. Spent many a Saturday night at the Danger House (something like 8 college kids in one big old house) doing the Safety Dance-- on the ancient roof that could have given out at any moment. It was so clearly stupid that it became known as the Danger Dance!
Hurry, please, someone pound another nail in the coffin lid, this hoary cadaver doesn\'t want to stay buried!
Originally Posted by ncollingridge: This is such DROSS it's not true. What is the point of this song? It is just pathetic...
Not every song has to have a point. Somewhere someone said that the point of art is to make a connection between the artist and the audience. I think this connects on a silly, emotional level, rather than on the deep, intellectual level of say, "La Bamba".
I just like it. I don\'t know why. It\'s whimsical and it reminds me of my younger MTV daze.
If you could see my hand, you would see me flipping off this song.
I give it a 9, simply because it was the silliest video ever. What fun!
This is such DROSS it\'s not true. What is the point of this song? It is just pathetic...
Originally Posted by KAJMK: WhaFor Tull Junkies, there is a tie in with Ian Anderson and this group.
Do tell, do tell!
The guys should have been named \"Men Without Talent\"
it\'s been a long time since i last heard this one.. back to high school.