Safety Dance by Men Without Hats

The Song

“Safety Dance” is a song by the new wave synth-pop band Men Without Hats. It was released in 1982. Lead singer Ivan Doroschuck was inspired to write the hit by an experience he had at a club in Ottawa where he was kicked out for Pogo dancing. The song has become a touchstone for Generation X because it was frequently played on MTV.

The song’s lyrics and accompanying dance, which involves spelling out the letter “S” with one’s arms, have an anti-establishment theme, encouraging listeners to dance however they want and not be told what to do by authority figures.

The anti-dancing theme was prevalent in the 80’s, when films like Footloose and Dirty Dancing also touched on the prohibition of this form of self-expression. Though as we discuss, sometimes the reason dancing is prohibited is simply for crowd control.

The Video

The video features Doroschuck parading through an English market town, gathering followers as he goes, like the Pied Piper. Meanwhile, townspeople perform folk dances, children prance around a Maypole, and Punch & Judy shows entertain. All while Doroschuck and his merry band perform the Safety Dance, YMCA-style.

Not to be confused with Men At Work, who also wore hats but did not sing about them, or safety at all really, Men Without Hats blazed a memorable trail through 1983 as their hit topped out at #3 on the U.S. pop chart.

Current Mentions

The song’s staying power is evidenced in its appearances as recently as 2020 when Alaska Airlines used it in a training video about Covid precautions. If friends don’t mask, and why don’t they mask, well they won’t fly this airline.