The Departure were a British rock band from Northampton, that formed in Jan… Read Full Bio ↴The Departure were a British rock band from Northampton, that formed in January 2004. Their debut album, Dirty Words, was released on June 13, 2005 by Parlophone.
The Departure is composed of David Jones (lead vocals), Sam Harvey (lead guitar),Ben Winton (bass guitar) and Simon Alexander (drums). These four unique individuals channel their passion, drive, and intelligence to churn the creative fires within, resulting in an indelible impression on all who encounter their sound. Imagine an 80’s sound with a twist, thumping bass lines, well placed lyrics and drum beats, which all comes together to form one driving force. Musical influences range from The Chameleons & Bowie, to Kate Bush & Blur.

The Departure has been touring extensively since 2004, and has recently finished their own tour and supporting We Are Scientists.

They are currently putting the finishing touches to their much anticipated second album entitled inventions, which is to be released early 2008. However, rumors say the band has split due to label issue

Only human
The Departure Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You caught me looking at you
Something said that it could be true
All I can think about is how
To get you out of here

At the end of the bar
Yeah, you're talking with friends
About nothing and

All you can think about is what
You can get out of this
With these human sins

Oh, I am only human
Why do you look at me that way
I am only human

Do you need those chains?
Do you feel pain?
It's closing in and I've fallen short
And it's daylight at the bar
And you're drinking the same
And you taught me into
Changing nothing

Oh take me out of my routine
Oh take me out of my routine
Oh take me out of my routine
Oh take me out of this

Oh, I am only human
Why do you look at me that way
I am only human

We all have needs

Overall Meaning

The Departure's song "Only Human" talks about the internal struggle of a person who is attracted to someone and cannot stop thinking about how to get them out of the room. The singer in the song is captivated and spellbound by the person they are looking at, and despite their better judgment, they cannot resist the temptation. The opening lines of the song, "You caught me looking at you, something said that it could be true," reflect the singer's thoughts, and they hope that their attraction is mutual.

The setting of the song is at a bar where the object of the singer's desire is drinking and chatting with friends. They observe that the person is thinking about what they can get out of the encounter, and the singer realizes that they, too, are human and have similar thoughts. This realization is pointed out in the chorus, "Oh, I am only human, why do you look at me that way, I am only human; we all have needs."

Towards the end of the song, the singer is aware that the attraction is only temporary and that they are likely to return to their routine soon. Hence, they request to be taken out of their routine, hoping to break free of their mundane lifestyle, and enjoy the moment a bit longer. The song ends with a sense of incompletion, and the listener gets to decide whether the singer was successful in their pursuit or not.

Line by Line Meaning

You caught me looking at you
I was caught staring at you

Something said that it could be true
I felt that there could be a connection between us

All I can think about is how
I am thinking about how to get closer to you

To get you out of here
To find a way to leave this place with you

At the end of the bar
You are sitting at the far end of the bar

Yeah, you're talking with friends
You are conversing with your friends

About nothing and
You are talking about trivial things

All you can think about is what
You are preoccupied with the idea of

You can get out of this
Finding a way to benefit from this situation

With these human sins
By committing human faults and weaknesses

Oh, I am only human
I am just a mere mortal