Human Drama was, in many ways, the personal vehicle for singer/songwriter J… Read Full Bio ↴Human Drama was, in many ways, the personal vehicle for singer/songwriter Johnny Indovina, who guided the band through a variety of lineup changes and stylistic experiments. During their lifespan, Human Drama released a series of recordings built around Indovina's passionate singing and dramatic melodies.

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.

Forever
Human Drama Lyrics

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Lay me down
Under clouds of silk
To within an inch of love
You torture
Without words all is said
In your eyes the future told

What I feel

You must give

Forever
What I give
You must hold
Forever

Press your lips to my heart
Release the breath of life into me
Tear the flesh that surrounds my fear
With the same hand heal the wound

Forever
What I give
You must hold
Forever
Forever

You touch me
And suddenly I have no past
My secrets I release willingly
Man and child together as one

Holding in my hands both knowledge
And innocence

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Human Drama's song "Forever" seem to be exploring the depths of love and intimacy between two people. It starts with the image of being laid down under clouds of silk - a luxurious and sensual image that implies a certain level of comfort and trust. The opening lines, "To within an inch of love / You torture" suggest that the singer is almost at the edge of what they can handle emotionally, but they are completely in the hands of their lover. This is reinforced in the next line, "Without words all is said" - there's a deep, nonverbal understanding between the two of them. The singer sees their future in their lover's eyes, which implies that they trust this person to lead them forward.

The chorus, "Forever / What I give / You must hold / Forever" emphasizes the idea of trust between these two people. The singer is giving themselves fully to their lover, and entrusting them with the responsibility of holding onto their love forever. Similarly, when their lover presses their lips to the singer's heart, the singer is asking them to release the breath of life and heal their emotional wounds. There seems to be a sense of vulnerability here, as the singer is letting their lover tear away the flesh surrounding their fear - which implies that this fear has been holding them back.

The final lines, "Man and child together as one / Holding in my hands both knowledge / And innocence" bring in a new layer of meaning. The idea of man and child together highlights the importance of balance in life, with knowledge and innocence being held in equal measure. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the nature of love itself - that it takes both wisdom and innocence to truly navigate its complexities.

Overall, "Forever" is a song that navigates the depths of intimacy and vulnerability, as well as the delicate balance between knowledge and innocence.

Line by Line Meaning

Lay me down
I surrender to you completely

Under clouds of silk
Wrapped in your love

To within an inch of love
As close as possible to the depths of love

You torture
Your love is painful

Without words all is said
Silent communication between us

In your eyes the future told
You see our future together

What I feel
My feelings are genuine

You must give
You have to share your feelings too

Forever
Our love will last an eternity

What I give
I will love you unconditionally

You must hold
You have to treasure my love