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.
Bang The Drum Slowly
Human Drama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I always meant to ask you about the war
And what you saw across the bridge too far
Did it leave a scar?
Or how you navigated rings of fire and steel
Up where Heaven had no more secrets to conceal
And still you found the ground beneath your wheels
CHORUS
Bang the drum slowly
Lay the pipes lowly
In dust lead to air
In dust we begin
Bang the drum slowly
I speak of things holy
Above and below me
A world without end
I meant to ask you how in everything seemed lost
And your fate was game of dust they tossed
There was still that land that you would never cross
At any cost
I meant to ask you how you lived, what you believed
Had everything but your heart up your sleeve
And if you ever, ever really were deceived
My the likes of me
CHORUS
Gone, now, is the day that brought the Sun
There is peace tonight all over Arlington
That the song of my life will still be sung
By the light of the new year hum
I meant to ask you how to plow that field
Meant to bring you water from the well
And be the one beside you when you fell
How could you tell?
CHORUS
CHORUS
The Human Drama's song "Bang The Drum Slowly" is a poignant tribute to a loved one who passed away. The song is filled with regret and the desire to understand the experiences and the life of the person who is no more. The singer talks about the missed opportunities to ask about the car, the war, and the scars that the person may have had. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing to understand the world from the perspective of the deceased.
The lyrics also talk about the bravery and resilience of the person who went through rings of fire and steel, and still found the ground beneath their feet. The singer wonders how it felt to experience such trials and tribulations but continue to persevere. The singer also acknowledges the pain and the losses that the person suffered and how those experiences were never fully discussed.
The chorus of the song talks about laying the pipes lowly, banging the drums slowly, and speaking of things holy. The lyrics evoke a sense of reverence and respect for the person who has passed. It talks about a world without end, which shows that the memory and the legacy of the person who has passed will live on.
Overall, the song is a powerful testament to the human experience, the pain of loss, and the desire to understand the life of the person who has passed. It is a beautiful and melancholic tribute.
Line by Line Meaning
I meant to ask you how to fix that car
I regret not asking you about your skills in fixing cars
I always meant to ask you about the war
I have always intended to inquire about your experience in the war
And what you saw across the bridge too far
I wonder what images of war you witnessed across that far bridge
Did it leave a scar?
Did those experiences leave you emotionally scarred?
Or how you navigated rings of fire and steel
I'm curious about how you managed to pass through fire and metal in the war
Up where Heaven had no more secrets to conceal
You've been through a lot in the war, and there seems to be no more surprises.
And still you found the ground beneath your wheels
Despite your experiences in the war, you still managed to keep your feet on the ground
How did it feel?
How did you feel after everything was said and done?
Bang the drum slowly
Play the drums with a mournful guise
Lay the pipes lowly
Play the pipes softly
In dust lead to air
We all turn to dust in the end, and the air carries our remains
In dust we begin
We come from dust and that is where we return
I speak of things holy
I talk about sacred things
Above and below me
Surrounding me, in all directions
A world without end
The world will keep on spinning without a care
I meant to ask you how in everything seemed lost
I wanted to ask how you found hope in the direst times
And your fate was game of dust they tossed
When your fate seemed tossed around like dust in the wind
There was still that land that you would never cross
No matter what, there was a place you would never venture to
At any cost
No matter how much it may have cost you
I meant to ask you how you lived, what you believed
I've always wanted to understand how you lived your life and what you believed in
Had everything but your heart up your sleeve
You had everything except your emotions on full display
And if you ever, ever really were deceived
I wonder if you were ever truly deceived, unlike me
My the likes of me
Someone like myself
Gone, now, is the day that brought the Sun
The day that started everything is now gone with the setting sun
There is peace tonight all over Arlington
The night is peaceful over Arlington, where the dead rest
That the song of my life will still be sung
I hope that my life accomplishments will still be remembered and celebrated
By the light of the new year hum
By the light of the new year's dawn
I meant to ask you how to plow that field
I intended to ask how to use a plow to till the farm field
Meant to bring you water from the well
I planned to bring you water from the well
And be the one beside you when you fell
I wanted to be there for you when you stumbled
How could you tell?
Would you have known that I was there for you?
Contributed by Owen O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.