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.
Cynthia's Journal
Human Drama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's the color blue
So deep she cannot move
Through her eyes she speaks
To your heart
VERSE 2
She's a hurricane
Instinct says fear
In words so clear
And she's a little girl
Eyes closed on the tilt-a-whirl
Can she see the arms
Waiting below?
VERSE 3
She's the saddest poem
That you ever took to bed
In candle light
Questions burn bright
CHORUS
Cast through imagery
Of love denied and pain that follows
Threats unrealized
And speaking ghosts with hearts so hollow
Sits a little girl
Reeling in an imperfect world
Writing in rhyme
Frozen in time
How many times has she
Awoken from the dream
Suspicious of
Scars left behind?
And what is the cost?
For, surely, there is a cost
To live the verse
Perverse and so near
CHORUS
CHORUS 2
Ink and pen describing
Blood and sweat and fear devoured by
The spider of the web that
Leaves the heart that loves unconquered
CHORUS
CHORUS 2
VERSE 1
VERSE 2
VERSE 3
She's the saddest poem
Yeah, she's the saddest poem
She's the saddest poem
Yeah, she's the saddest poem
She's the saddest poem
The lyrics of Human Drama's song "Cynthia's Journal" tell the story of a little girl named Cynthia who is struggling to navigate a world filled with pain and heartbreak. The first verse compares Cynthia to the color blue, implying a sense of depth and sadness that she cannot shake. Despite this, she speaks to the heart through her eyes, suggesting an intense level of empathy and connection with others.
The second verse introduces the idea of Cynthia as a hurricane or storm, something to be feared and avoided. This adds to the sense of sadness and darkness surrounding her character, but also implies a certain level of power or intensity. The line "Instinct says fear, in words so clear" underscores this idea, suggesting that Cynthia inspires a sense of dread in those around her.
The third verse describes Cynthia as "the saddest poem" that the listener has ever taken to bed. This image evokes a sense of intimacy and closeness, but also carries a sadness that cannot be denied. The chorus continues this theme, suggesting that Cynthia's story is one of pain and heartbreak, with threats unrealized and speaking ghosts with hearts so hollow.
Overall, "Cynthia's Journal" is a haunting and powerful song about the struggle to survive in a world filled with darkness and pain. Through Cynthia's story, the listener is reminded of the fragility of human emotion and the importance of empathy and connection in times of great sadness and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
She's the color blue
She embodies the color blue, which represents deep emotions, such as sadness and despair.
So deep she cannot move
Her emotions are so intense and overwhelming that it immobilizes her.
Through her eyes she speaks
She communicates her emotions and innermost feelings through her eyes.
To your heart
Her gaze touches something deep within you - your own emotions and feelings.
She's a hurricane
Her emotions are like a raging storm, intense and destructive in nature.
A storm you cannot brave
Her emotions are too intense to be faced with courage or bravery.
Instinct says fear
Your innermost instincts warns you to fear her - her emotional intensity is too much to handle.
In words so clear
Although unspoken, her intense emotions are clearly conveyed through her actions.
And she's a little girl
Despite the intense nature of her emotions, she remains vulnerable and innocent like a little girl.
Eyes closed on the tilt-a-whirl
Like a child on a rollercoaster ride, her eyes are closed, shutting out the world and its harsh realities.
Can she see the arms
As she spins on the ride of life, she wonders if anyone is there to catch her if she falls.
Waiting below?
She fears falling off the ride of life and hitting rock bottom, but wonders if there is hope and help before she reaches it.
She's the saddest poem
She embodies deep sadness and despair, like a poem full of melancholy.
That you ever took to bed
Her melancholy is so intense that it stays with you even when you go to sleep.
In candle light
Her sadness is often accompanied by darkness and solitude, like the flickering light of a candle in a dark room.
Questions burn bright
Her sadness raises burning questions in your heart and in your mind.
Cast through imagery
The painful memories of love and loss are projected through vivid images and mental pictures.
Of love denied and pain that follows
Her pain stems from a love that was never realized and the ensuing aftermath that follows.
Threats unrealized
The fear of what could have been and the consequences that never came to fruition haunt her.
And speaking ghosts with hearts so hollow
The ghosts of her past haunt her, and their echo-less voices leave her heart empty and void.
Sits a little girl
Despite her emotional intensity, she remains vulnerable and innocent like a little girl.
Reeling in an imperfect world
She struggles to come to terms with the harsh realities of the world, which is far from ideal.
Writing in rhyme
She expresses her emotions and feelings through the art of poetry and rhyme.
Frozen in time
She feels stuck and trapped in a moment of intense emotion and sadness, unable to move on.
Ink and pen describing
Through the written word, she describes her deepest emotions and feelings, like a diary entry.
Blood and sweat and fear devoured by
Her pain, effort, and fear are consumed by the act of writing and creativity.
The spider of the web that
Like a spider, she weaves a web of words and emotions, delicately capturing her pain and laying it bare.
Leaves the heart that loves unconquered
Through her writing, she hopes to leave behind a heart that remains unconquered by pain and sadness.
And what is the cost?
But what is the price she must pay for pouring out her emotions in such a raw way?
For, surely, there is a cost
The price she pays is the raw vulnerability and exposure of her deepest emotions and feelings.
To live the verse
To live a life consumed by raw emotion and pain.
Perverse and so near
This life of raw emotion is twisted and perverse, and it feels almost tangible and within reach.
She's the saddest poem
She embodies deep sadness and despair, like a poem full of melancholy.
Yeah, she's the saddest poem
She remains the embodiment of sadness and despair, a poem that is never ending.
She's the saddest poem
Her melancholy runs deep and remains an ever-present part of her life.
Yeah, she's the saddest poem
She remains the embodiment of sadness and despair, a never-ending poem that remains true to the end.
She's the saddest poem
No matter how she changes, her sadness and melancholy remains a constant and ever-present part of her being.
Contributed by Isaiah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.