Nashvi… Read Full Bio ↴Catching Up With David Mead (In Four Scenes and Three Cities)
Nashville, TN, mid-1990s. . . After bouncing around the club scene in a few bands, David Mead takes the leap as a solo artist. A copper-topped kid with a tender heart and wicked sense of humor, he has one unfailing secret weapon - the kind of singing voice that can stop drunks in mid-drink and A & R guys in mid-schmooze. “A soaring but unshowy falsetto,” says Uncut. “Honeyed and compelling,” adds Entertainment Weekly.
New York City, NY, early-2000s. . . Mead signs a major label deal with RCA, former home to Elvis Presley and David Bowie. Aspiring to similar career longevity and variety, Mead locks in for a steady climb. Honing a songwriting gift that improbably takes in Broadway, Beatles, Prog and New Wave then ups the ante to something all his own, he releases a pair of critically-acclaimed records, The Luxury Of Time and Mine and Yours. “Infectious melodies,” says The Guardian. “A major tunesmith,” affirms MOJO.
Middle Of Nowhere, Indiana, mid-2000s. . . Mead tours from town to town, meeting crowds sparse or sold-out with equal gusto, leaving true believers in his wake. When he’s not on the road, he’s writing, recording (Indiana, Wherever You Are, Tangerine, Almost and Always) and lending songs to screens big (The Sweetest Thing, Boys and Girls) and small (Ed, Private Practice). He’s making loads of fans and friends. Some of them in high places. John Mayer says, “David Mead is one of my favorite singer-songwriters.” Taylor Swift tweets, “I can’t get David Mead’s ‘Nashville’ out of my head.” Joe Jackson, Fountains Of Wayne, Shelby Lynne, Ron Sexsmith all feel it too, enough to invite Mead to share stages and tours.
Nashville, 2011 . . . . 253 of Mead’s most-dedicated fans rally around his Kickstarter campaign to raise over $20K to
fund his new record Dudes. The yield on the investment? Pure pleasure, with humor, mystery, emotional wallop and dudes of all ages lurking behind a hundred unforgettable hooks. “There is no easy way for me to express the gratitude I feel for all the generous support,” Mead
says, “except to try to back it up with what I feel might be my best album to date.”
Human Nature
David Mead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Across the nighttime
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out
Four walls won't hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl
She knows I'm watching
She likes the way I stare
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
I like livin' this way
I like lovin' this way
Looking out
Across the morning
Where the city's heart begins to beat
Reaching out
I touch her shoulder
I'm dreaming of the street
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
David Mead's song Human Nature is an ode to the thrill of a night out in the city. Mead's longing to experience what lies beyond the four walls that hold him captive in his room is palpable in the song’s opening lines, “Looking out / Across the nighttime / The city winks a sleepless eye.” He is seduced by the vibrancy of the city and its promise of adventure, conveyed by the “sweet seducing sighs” that seem to shake his window. Mead’s desire for the unknown is further reinforced by his willingness to take a chance: “If this town / Is just an apple / Then let me take a bite.”
Mead writes about the human propensity for adventure and desire for connection. The lines “Reaching out / To touch a stranger / Electric eyes are everywhere / See that girl / She knows I'm watching / She likes the way I stare” highlight the sense of excitement and possibility that fuels the night-time adventures of the human spirit. Mead employs the idea of human nature to justify his want for spontaneity and impulsive decision making. When questioned about his decisions he responds to his inquirers by saying, "It’s human nature."
Overall, Human Nature is a song that celebrates the thrill of living in the moment and experiencing the pulse of a city at night. Mead's lyrics suggest that it is only human to want to take risks and explore new horizons, to seek connection with both people and one's surroundings, and to see life through a lens of spontaneous, joyful engagement.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out
Observing the surroundings
Across the nighttime
During the night
The city winks a sleepless eye
The city is alive and bustling with activity even during late hours
Hear her voice
Listening to a female's voice
Shake my window
The voice was so mesmerizing that it felt as if it was shaking the windows
Sweet seducing sighs
The voice had a seductive and charming tone to it
Get me out
Wants to leave
Into the nighttime
During the night
Four walls won't hold me tonight
Doesn't want to be confined within the four walls of his surroundings
If this town
Referring to the city
Is just an apple
The city is just like a tempting fruit
Then let me take a bite
Wants to indulge in the experiences and temptations of the city
If they say
If someone questions or criticizes
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
It's inherent in human nature to behave this way
Why, why, does he do me that way
Asking why someone behaves a certain way towards them
Reaching out
Extending an arm
To touch a stranger
Trying to physically connect with someone unknown
Electric eyes are everywhere
People are watching and observing everything
See that girl
Observing a specific girl
She knows I'm watching
The girl is aware of being watched
She likes the way I stare
The girl enjoys being looked at intently
I like livin' this way
Enjoying this lifestyle
I like lovin' this way
Enjoying this way of loving
Looking out
Observing the surroundings
Across the morning
In the morning
Where the city's heart begins to beat
When the city is starting to wake up and become active
Reaching out
Extending an arm
I touch her shoulder
Physically touching a female's shoulder
I'm dreaming of the street
Thinking about being outside again
If they say
If someone questions or criticizes
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
It's inherent in human nature to behave this way
Why, why does he do me that way
Asking why someone behaves a certain way towards them
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, ONErpm, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Porcaro, John Bettis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind