Indovina and Human Drama began their career in New Orleans in the early 80s as The Models, releasing two singles along with compilation appearances. A mid-'80s move to Los Angeles and the discovery of an already existing Australian band also named The Models set the stage for Indovina and company to begin their new incarnation.
The newly renamed Human Drama became a member of the "Scream scene" of the mid-'80s, which sprang up around the short-lived Los Angeles underground goth/metal club that brought Guns N' Roses and Jane's Addiction to the world. Human Drama contributed a song, "Wave of Darkness", to the 1987 Scream Compilation LP, which led to a major label deal with RCA.
1989 saw the release of the debut Hopes Prayers Dreams Heart Soul Mind Love Life Death EP and the full length Feel LP. Both releases featured a electric guitar-oriented approach. Indovina felt that RCA wasn't properly promoting the band, and the band and label parted ways.
Moving to the independent Triple X label, the next Human Drama release was 1992's The World Inside. Stylistically different from the first two releases, Indovina moved Human Drama into a quieter, more strings-based sound. This album is widely regarded as Indovina and Human Drama's most important work. The LP earned the band critical raves and a near fanatical following, especially in Mexico. A solo performance of various cover songs by Indovina at the album's release party predicted the next Human Drama album. Released in 1993, PinUps was an open tribute to David Bowie's album of the same name, a collection of remakes of various sources of inspiration.
A move to New York city accompanied a temporary co-release stint on the Projekt label, resulting in two additional mid-decade releases, 1994's Human Drama EP and 1995's Songs of Betrayal, which was later re-released as two separate discs with additional tracks.
The next Human Drama release would be a live album. 1997's Fourteen Thousand Three Hundred Eighty Four Days Later, featuring many of the early Feel-era songs, along with some new cover song choices.
1999 brought Solemn Sun Setting, which saw a merging of the two "different" Human Drama styles, before the following year's career overview, Best of Human Drama...In a Perfect World.
The final Human Drama album, 2002's Cause and Effect, continuing themes from Solemn Sun Setting, was an unexpected goodbye from Indovina and company, for both the band and their fans.
In 2004, Human Drama recorded their final track, the Beatles "Let It Be", which was given to fans who attended the band's farewell performance in Los Angeles. When asked why he chose "Let It Be" as their final recording Indovina answered, "I strived my entire career to write a song as good as that, but since I couldn't, I decided to record it as a salute to, what is in my opinion, the best song ever written".
Indovina has since moved on with his next project, Sound of the Blue Heart.
All That Cuts Today
Human Drama Lyrics
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Passion and innocence
I can hardly hold back tears as it slips away
Passion and innocence
Slip away
I shake where I stand as it is taken from my hand
I said yesterday "There is no tomorrow"
But here I stand
And the world turns round and round
Morning opens my eyes again
Passing time will dull all that cuts today
Tired eyes begs for sleep
Today's story waits
For the moral
Fuel for the fire
Never fading
But does it ever rest?
Yes sleep does come because time's the water
Time is the water
That will douse the flame
And the world turns round and round
Morning opens my eyes again
Passing time will dull all that cuts today
I've taken all I've seen
Wrapped it up so carefully
With just my eyes I can't decide
I reach to truth but found a lie
So I keep it inside
The song "All That Cuts Today" by Human Drama is an emotional reflection on the fleeting nature of passion and innocence. The singer expresses their sadness as they watch these qualities slip away in the face of the realities of life. The pounding of the day, a metaphor for the difficulties and stresses of daily life, wears away at the purity of their soul. The singer is moved to tears because they feel unable to prevent this loss from happening. They are also keenly aware of the paradox inherent in the situation; they say that there is no tomorrow, yet they are still standing in the present, forced to confront the losses of yesterday.
The second half of the song offers a glimmer of hope. While the passing of time cannot bring back what has been lost, it can dull the pain of those cuts. The singer acknowledges that they are tired and longing for sleep, but still they cling to their story, searching for its moral and using it to fuel their passions. They wonder if this cycle will ever stop, if the fire of their soul will ever be quenched. However, they conclude that time is the great equalizer, and it will bring the peace they are seeking, even if only by blunting the sharp edges of their pain.
Overall, "All That Cuts Today" offers a poignant meditation on the tensions between the temporal and the eternal, the desires of the heart and the harsh realities of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The pounding of the day wrecks
The demanding and challenging nature of the day has a devastating impact on the individual
Passion and innocence
The attributes that make a person who they are and bring them joy and purity
I can hardly hold back tears as it slips away
The loss of passion and innocence causes deep emotional distress and sorrow
Slip away
The attributes fade and disappear, leaving a sense of emptiness behind
I shake where I stand as it is taken from my hand
The sudden loss of passion and innocence disorients and destabilizes the individual
I said yesterday "There is no tomorrow"
The belief that there is no more hope for the future and things can only get worse
There is no tomorrow
The sense of hopelessness and despair about the future
But here I stand
Despite the overwhelming challenges, the individual manages to stay afloat and persevere
And the world turns round and round
Despite personal struggles, the world keeps moving on and changing
Morning opens my eyes again
A new day begins with renewed opportunities and challenges
Passing time will dull all that cuts today
As time moves on, the sharpness of pain and loss will lessen, becoming more bearable
Tired eyes begs for sleep
The physical and emotional exhaustion caused by daily struggles
Today's story waits
The events of the day and the emotions they elicit create a story waiting to be told
For the moral
A lesson to be learned from the events of the day
Fuel for the fire
The experiences and emotions of the day are used as inspiration for creative endeavors
Never fading
These experiences and emotions will always be a part of the individual and their creative work
But does it ever rest?
The question of whether the source of creative inspiration will ever cease or be satisfied
Yes sleep does come because time's the water
Rest and relaxation is possible due to the passage of time, which brings healing and renewal
Time is the water
Time is a soothing balm that can heal emotional wounds
That will douse the flame
Time will lessen the intensity of pain and emotion, eventually bringing peace
I've taken all I've seen
The individual has experienced and observed a great deal in their life
Wrapped it up so carefully
These experiences and observations have been carefully preserved and processed
With just my eyes I can't decide
Despite careful consideration, the individual is still unsure of the meaning and significance of their experiences
I reach to truth but found a lie
The search for meaning and truth has revealed deception and falsehood
So I keep it inside
The individual keeps their unresolved emotions and experiences inside, unable to fully express them
Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.