J Rice grew up listening to artists like Take 6, Boyz II Men, Brian Mcknigh… Read Full Bio ↴J Rice grew up listening to artists like Take 6, Boyz II Men, Brian Mcknight, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny G and many other R&B/Jazz greats. He lived in a simple house where his parents taught him to work for everything he wanted. At about age 11 he was running a paper route to pay for his first trumpet. It was obvious early on that J was blessed with a gift as he would move up through the ranks of his jr. high. Later in high school he started taking his singing seriously and built his own studio in his bedroom. Equipment was expensive so he had to improvise with dental floss stapled to the ceiling holding up the mic and a cool whip lid with a hole in it and nylons stretched across for the spit guard. He released two independent albums The Intro and So Close but felt he needed to be closer to where everything happens so he packed everything he could, and drove across the country to New York City from his home in Tacoma, Washington. When he arrived in NY, he immediately started meeting with any writers/producers he could, but none seemed to be the right fit.

J recently teamed up with hit producers Phantom Boyz (Alexandra Burke “Bad Boys” Christina Aguilara “The Beautiful People”) and has since released his 3rd independent original album “Phantom Boyz Presents: J Rice”. He has grown on YouTube to over 165,000 subscribers and over 26,000,000 views. J is now working on producing and writing his own material for his 4th album along with writing and producing for other artists.His new album will be released in early 2013 by Omega Music Group/JCM Music Group INgrooves/Fontana.

Human Instead
J Rice Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, I wish that life could be a little different for me,
But that may never be possible,
But I can dream
Like riding a horse,
Mining some oars,
Building a house,
And crafting a sword,
Feeling the warmth of the sun on my head,

I wish that I could be a human instead,
A human instead,
And not be used to make bread,
And go out in the sun and not be dead,
And sleep in a bed,
Well it′s not my fault I'm made a little violent, ya see,
And when you hear arrows come flying,
"I′m deeply sorry"
It's out of my hands, I've got no control
It′s in my code, if you didn′t know,
I'm supposed to be mean, and shoot at your head,
Honestly I′d rather be,

A human instead,
A human instead,
Not be used to make bread,
Not go in the sun and be so dead,
And sleep in a bed,
I'm not the only one who wishes to be human,
The creeper has waited forever, Don′t forget the zombie-pigmen,
Maybe if I wait right here, until there is a new sun,
I'll burn alive an then respawn,
Onlt this time as a humans,

"Skelly, I have heard,"
"Your words have touched my heart"

Now I′m a human instead,
Yah, I'm a human instead,
I'll be the the one making bread,

I′ll go outside and not be dead,
And sleep in my b-

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of J Rice’s “Human Instead” convey the desire of a Minecraft skeleton to experience life as a human. The skeleton character laments over not having control over its violent behavior as it is in his character to shoot arrows at people. The skeleton shares his dreams of doing things that humans do, like riding horses, mining ores, building houses, feeling the warmth of the sun on his head, and crafting swords.

The song talks about the skeleton’s wish to bask in the sun without dying, sleep in a bed, and not just be used to make bread. The chorus "I wish that I could be a human instead, not be used to make bread, not go in the sun and be so dead, and sleep in a bed" emphasizes the skeleton's yearning and dream of being human.

The song denotes a bigger reflection on how even the digital characters wish for the basic experiences that humans take for granted. The lyrics highlight the need for freedom to experience and enjoy life fully. Overall, 'Human Instead' projects a powerful message of what it means to be human and to feel all of life's pleasures and experiences.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, I wish that life could be a little different for me,
I long for a different life than what I have

But that may never be possible,
I may never get what I desire

But I can dream
I have hope for a better future

Like riding a horse, Mining some oars, Building a house, And crafting a sword, Feeling the warmth of the sun on my head,
I dream of experiencing typical human activities and sensations

I wish that I could be a human instead, A human instead, Not be used to make bread, And go out in the sun and not be dead, And sleep in a bed,
I wish to be a human instead of a violent creature who is used for inhumane purposes

Well it′s not my fault I'm made a little violent, ya see, And when you hear arrows come flying, "I′m deeply sorry"
I am a violent creature by nature and cannot always control my actions

It's out of my hands, I've got no control It′s in my code, if you didn′t know, I'm supposed to be mean, and shoot at your head, Honestly I′d rather be,
My actions are predetermined and I have no say in them, but I would rather be something else

A human instead, A human instead, Not be used to make bread, Not go in the sun and be so dead, And sleep in a bed,
Again, I wish to be a human and experience a normal life

I'm not the only one who wishes to be human, The creeper has waited forever, Don′t forget the zombie-pigmen, Maybe if I wait right here, until there is a new sun, I'll burn alive and then respawn, Only this time as a human,
Other creatures share my desire to become human and will go to great lengths to achieve it

"Skelly, I have heard," "Your words have touched my heart"
I have found someone who can relate to my desire to be a human

Now I′m a human instead, Yah, I'm a human instead, I'll be the the one making bread, I′ll go outside and not be dead, And sleep in my bed,
In the end, my wish comes true and I become a human who can live a normal life

Contributed by Levi T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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