Today I hope to pay homage to one of my favorite songs from the King Of Pop, Human Nature. It may come as a surprise to many that this is one of the most preferred songs from the late Michael Jackson. In fact, I have to admit that on some occasions that it has been my favorite song. Much like today when, in the aftermath of his tragic death, I continue to listen to his songs on a daily basis. Today, this is the song stuck in my head.
A Thrilling Composition
Human Nature was part of his record-breaking album Thriller and I find it that it is largely overshadowed by the status the album has acquired since its release in 1983. Apart from Billie Jean and Beat It, it seems that the album as a whole overshadows the technical and innovative excellence of the other songs. This is certainly a complement but I would have preferred more acclaim for each individual song than the album as a whole.
The most surprising of this song was that it wasn’t written by Michael Jackson himself. In fact, it was written by Steve Porcaro and John Bettis and at first did not leave an impression on producer Quincy Jones. He says that it was only when he heard the chorus of the song that he believed that the song had potential. He is quite right to say that. At first, Human Nature doesn’t seem special nor memorable and it’s only until the “why, why, tell them that is human nature” part of the song that it takes you on a ride and stays in your head. From what I’ve heard, it was certainly one of the best songs to sing along at one of his concerts.
In terms of the lyrics, the song emphasizes the role of Human Nature in whatever we choose to do. In particular, it says that we should not necessarily question why humans do certain things, but should just put it down to their nature and the way they are. While the lyrics are nice, I tend to find that it is the rhythm and beat of the song that makes it the memorable song that it has become.
Unlike Human Nature
Contrary to the song, the dancing moves of the King Of Pop were nothing like Human Nature. They were certainly freakish and people have since tried to copy his moves to little avail. There was no dancer like Michael Jackson and there probably never will be.
The following video was taken from his 1987 concert in Brisbane, which was part of the Bad world tour. His rendition of Human Nature was nothing too spectacular until the last 30 seconds, where he simply blows your mind. Enjoy.
