From Leo AI: "The Safety Dance" is a 1982 new wave and synth-pop hit by the Canadian band Men Without Hats, written by lead singer Ivan Doroschuk after he was ejected from a club for pogo dancing. Released as the second single from their debut album Rhythm of Youth, the song serves as a protest against bouncers prohibiting individual new wave dancing styles like pogoing, which were perceived as dangerous to disco dancers at the time.

The track achieved significant international success, peaking at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 1 on the US Cash Box chart and the Billboard Dance Chart. It also charted in the top 10 in numerous countries, including the UK (No. 6) and New Zealand (No. 2), and has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The iconic music video, directed by Tim Pope, was filmed in West Kington, Wiltshire, England, and features British folk revival imagery including Morris dancers, Mummers, and a maypole. Doroschuk clarified that the song is not a call for safe sex or specifically an anti-nuclear protest, but rather an anti-establishment statement about freedom of expression. In 2021, the band released a reimagined mid-tempo ballad version titled "No Friends of Mine" on their EP Again (Part 1).