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.
The World Inside II
Human Drama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A surface war yields shallow rewards
Clench your fist make your demands
But you are conquering the wrong enemy
Alone you lie naked and bare
Conscience a mirror
You steal from your soul to feed your ego
But alone you lie
In the world inside
Alone you lie
In the world inside
God of material villain of spirit
The fortress you build you must live in
Betrayal of trust faith and allegiance
You fool everyone but yourself
The lyrics of Human Drama's The World Inside II are very insightful and thought-provoking. The lyrics suggest that people often strive for material possessions, as if they are at war, but these rewards only provide shallow satisfaction. Instead, people should focus on conquering their inner demons, which are the true enemies. In other words, the lyrics encourage people to seek a deeper sense of meaning in life instead of focusing wholly on material possessions.
The lyrics also suggest that people often portray themselves as heroes on the outside, but on the inside, they are struggling with their own conscience. They steal from their soul to feed their ego, which ultimately leaves them alone and exposed. The lyrics encourage people to be honest with themselves, to recognize the importance of their own moral compass, and to build a fortress within that is true to their beliefs and values.
Overall, The World Inside II is a cautionary tale, urging people to be mindful of their priorities and to focus on their inner selves. The song encourages people to seek deeper levels of fulfillment beyond what is superficially known, and to value themselves and their spirit rather than external recognition.
Line by Line Meaning
Reach out your hand grab the penny
Don't get too caught up in material possessions.
A surface war yields shallow rewards
Engaging in petty arguments and conflicts is ultimately unfulfilling.
Clench your fist make your demands
Don't forget to stand up for what you believe in.
But you are conquering the wrong enemy
Make sure you're fighting for the right cause and not just for personal gain or to feel powerful.
Alone you lie naked and bare
When you're alone with yourself, you can't hide from who you really are.
Conscience a mirror
Your own conscience can reflect back to you the truth about your actions and motivations.
You steal from your soul to feed your ego
Don't sacrifice your own inner peace and happiness for the sake of your ego or reputation.
Outside you're a hero
It's easy to project a certain image of yourself to the world, but that doesn't necessarily reflect who you really are.
But alone you lie
In the world inside
When you're alone with your thoughts, you can't escape the truth about yourself, no matter how hard you try.
God of material villain of spirit
Don't let a preoccupation with material possessions cloud your understanding of spirituality and the bigger picture.
The fortress you build you must live in
Be careful what walls you build around yourself, because you're the one who has to live within them.
Betrayal of trust faith and allegiance
Breaking people's trust or abandoning your own values is a quick path to isolation and unhappiness.
You fool everyone but yourself
You may be able to deceive others for a time, but the only person you can't lie to is yourself.
Contributed by Jake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.