Was That The Human Thing To Do?
Kay Starr Lyrics


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Mistakes are human
I heard you say
Forgiveness is divine
But, all the sweet things that you may say
Can't mend this heart of mine

Never thought that anyone in their right mind
Could ever treat another human so unkind
Didn't you sneak away?
And leave a note behind
Was that the human thing to do?

I always thought that yours was such a heart of gold
But, after I was sold on all the tales you told
Didn't you let your kisses turn from hot to cold?
Was that the human thing to do?

Now, I'm not trying to patch things up
What's been done must be
Lord, I wouldn't even treat a pup
The way you treated me

How could anybody be so darned unfair?
You let me hang around
Until I learned to care
Didn't you even laugh and leave me crying there?
Was that the human thing to do?

I'm not trying to patch things up
What's been done must be
Lord, I wouldn't even treat a pup
The way you treated me

How could anybody be so darned unfair?
To let me hang around
Until, I learned to care
Didn't you laugh when you saw me cryin'?




I'm asking you
Was that the human thing to do?

Overall Meaning

The song "Was That the Human Thing to Do?" by Kay Starr is a lamentation about being treated unfairly in a relationship. The song's opening lines, "Mistakes are human, I heard you say. Forgiveness is divine," suggest that the singer is open to forgiving their partner for any mistakes made in the relationship. However, despite the partner's apologies and sweet words, the singer's heart remains broken and cannot be mended. The singer then questions whether it was "the human thing to do" for their partner to sneak away and leave a note behind or let their affections turn from hot to cold.


The second verse of the song reveals that the singer had a high opinion of their partner before they were hurt. The line "I always thought that yours was such a heart of gold" suggests that the partner was once kind and good-hearted before their behavior changed. The singer then questions whether it was "the human thing to do" for their partner to let their kisses turn cold and leave the singer crying.


The final verse indicates that the singer is not interested in patching things up and believes that their partner's behavior was unfair. The line "Lord, I wouldn't even treat a pup the way you treated me" emphasizes the singer's sense of betrayal and hurt. The song ends with the singer asking their partner whether it was "the human thing to do" to laugh at them while they were crying.


Overall, this song speaks to the pain caused by mistreatment in a relationship and the difficulty of forgiveness in the face of such unfairness.


Line by Line Meaning

Mistakes are human
Mistakes are a normal part of being human


I heard you say
I remember you saying


Forgiveness is divine
Forgiving someone is an act of great nobility and grace


But, all the sweet things that you may say
Despite all the kind words you may say


Can't mend this heart of mine
My heart is broken and cannot be healed by mere words


Never thought that anyone in their right mind
I never thought that a sane person


Could ever treat another human so unkind
Could treat another person so cruelly


Didn't you sneak away?
Did you not leave without telling me?


And leave a note behind
And leave a written message explaining why?


Was that the human thing to do?
Is that how humans are supposed to act in relationships?


I always thought that yours was such a heart of gold
I used to believe that you had a kind and generous spirit


But, after I was sold on all the tales you told
But, after falling for all of your stories


Didn't you let your kisses turn from hot to cold?
Did you not lose interest in me and stop showing affection?


Now, I'm not trying to patch things up
I am not attempting to repair the relationship


What's been done must be
What happened cannot be changed


Lord, I wouldn't even treat a pup
I wouldn't even treat a dog


The way you treated me
As poorly as you treated me


How could anybody be so darned unfair?
How is it possible to treat someone so unjustly?


You let me hang around
You kept me close


Until I learned to care
Until I began to have feelings for you


Didn't you even laugh and leave me crying there?
Did you not even find it amusing to see me upset and leave me alone?


Was that the human thing to do?
Is that how humans are supposed to treat each other?


I'm asking you
I want to know




Writer(s): Fain, Young

Contributed by Aaliyah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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