Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh were both working as computer programmers in 1977, and combined a love of pop music (such as glam rock and Tamla Motown) with avant garde electronic music. They acquired a Roland System 100 synthesizer and began to create music in their own rehearsal facility. Initially they formed a group called The Dead Daughters, which then became The Future with Adi Newton on vocals. Newton was soon dismissed and left to form the outfit Clock DVA. Ware and Marsh searched for a vocalist, but their first choice, Glenn Gregory (who would be the lead singer of their later band, Heaven 17), was unavailable. Ware instead decided to invite Philip Oakey, an old school friend, and a hospital porter at the time to join the band, "apparently by leaving a note stuck to his door". Oakey accepted the invitation, despite never having been in a band before. Shortly after, they decided to call themselves The Human League. A collection of demos from this period was released on CD in 2002, titled The Golden Hour of The Future, compiled by Richard X.
The original lineup of The Human League debuted in 1978 with the single "Being Boiled", a dark synth track that would later become extremely influential on later industrial musicians (namely Trent Reznor of the Nine Inch Nails). This single and it's follow-up "Empire State Human" were modest sucesses, however the group's albums - 1979's "Reproduction" and 1980's "Travelogue" - did not sell. This caused a rift in the band, and in 1980, Ian Marsh and Martyn Ware left the group.
Following the split of the original line-up, Phillip Adrian Wright (their live slide projectionist) fully joined the group and Oakey & himself released another flop single, "Boys and Girls". In order to fulfil their European tour commitments, they recruited bass player Ian Burden, and fronted the band with two singers, Susanne Sulley and Joanne Catherall, schoolgirls whom they had met in a Sheffield nightclub, and managed to complete the tour.
In 1981, Virgin Records paired them with former Stranglers producer Martin Rushent, and the first result was the single "The Sound of the Crowd", which saw them at last achieve success in the singles chart. Guitarist Jo Callis (formerly of The Rezillos) was now recruited to the band, and with Rushent at the helm, The Human League recorded their most successful album to date, "Dare!". It achieved huge success, fuelled by its further hit singles, "Open Your Heart", "Love Action" and most famously "Don't You Want Me", which reached number one in the UK charts during the Christmas of 1981 and was one of the biggest selling singles of that year, and it also charted at number one in the US during the summer of 1982. These three releases were accompanied by striking promo videos ("Love Action" based on the movie The Graduate). During their Dare! phase, the Human League were often associated with the New Romantic movement.
The band also had a number of other hits but their success faded towards the mid-1980s. Arguably, one problem was the length of time the band took to make a record. Dare! was followed by the six-song EP Fascination! (featuring hit singles "Mirror Man" and "Fascination") as a stopgap, and it took three years to release a full-length follow-up album, "Hysteria".
In 1985, outside of the Human League, Oakey scored a huge hit single in collaboration with one of his idols, synth pioneer Giorgio Moroder, with the single "Together in Electric Dreams", taken from the film soundtrack to Electric Dreams. The pair proceeded to record an entire album for Virgin, Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder, but this met with rather less success.
In 1986, the group found themselves in creative stagnation, struggling to record material to follow up on their previous success. Key songwriter Jo Callis departed, replaced by drummer Jim Russell, and Virgin paired the League up with cutting-edge American R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The result was the "Crash" album. The album featured much material written by Jam and Lewis' team, and showcased their distinctive DX7-led sound, making it quite a departure from previous Human League material. It did provide an American number one single, "Human", but other singles made smaller chart impact.
The following tour saw keyboardist Neil Sutton join the line-up and also keyboardist/guitarist Russell Dennett. Since 1990, their resident engineer on and off stage has been David Beevers. Following Dennett's departure in 1996, Nic Burke has been his replacement for live work since 2001.
The Human League released a new album, Credo in March 2011.
Tell Me When
The Human League Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will I?
Tell me when
Will I?
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Tell me when
Searching for the bottom line
I wasn't into searching
'Cause I was doing fine
I wasn't into fighting, chasing,
Sweating, slaving, fretting, racing
Any waste of effort
Isn't part of my design
Billy was an inspiration,
positive and kind
Until he let confusion
Overcome his youthful mind
Common sense dictated
I could never be so blind
And then
Then I see you
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Happenstance an episode unplanned,
Alone in time
Coincidence, the second chance
Re-sounding like a rhyme
How paths may cross against the odds
To wreck the plans you made
Among the crowd a face that smiles
To melt your masquerade
If only I could see you
Says the stranger deep inside
And lets you know that when you were
So sure you really lied
If only I could see you
Says the voice within your brain
And quietly, insistently
It says it once again
And then, I really need to know
It wouldn't seem so lonely
If only I could see you
Baby, you can be free
If only I could see you
You'll never have to doubt me
If only I could see you
Baby, you could free me
If only I could see you
If only I could see you
Tell me when
Tell me when
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
If only if only if only I could see you
If only I could see you
If only if only if only I could see you
Will I see you again?
If only if only if only I could see you
Will I see you again?
Will I see you again?
If only if only if only I could see you
Will I see you again?
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
If only if only if only I could see you
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
If only if only if only I could see you
Tell me when
Will I see you again?
If only if only if only I could see you
If only if only if only I could see you
If only if only if only I could see you
The Human League's song "Tell Me When" is about the yearning feeling of seeing someone again. The lyrics express the notion of coincidence and second chances while exploring the idea that paths may cross against the odds, leading to unexpected outcomes. The song reflects on the struggles of life that come with searching, fighting, and chasing a particular goal or dream. The singer, as someone who is not into searching because they were doing fine but still longs to see this individual, is symbolic of the unexpected nature of life. While success and achievement often require intense work, relationships and joy come from chance meetings and the uncontrollable nature of human connection. The song seeks answers to when their paths will cross again.
Throughout the song, the lyrics suggest that the singer has encountered confusion and has let himself be deceived in the past, but his desire to see this person again introduces hope and a potential new beginning. The chorus repeats the questions, "Tell me when, will I see you again?" posing a challenge to the universe itself for answers concerning these chance encounters. The phrase "If only I could see you" punctuates the song, giving a glimpse into the mystery surrounding human connections and missed opportunities. Ultimately, the song is about grasping the opportunities life presents, even if they can be painful, uncertain or challenging.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me when
Asking when the singer will see the person they are longing for again.
Will I?
Taking an uncertain tone, asking if they will ever be reunited with this person.
Will I see you again?
Repeating the central question of the song, with hopeful anticipation of a positive answer.
Kelly took a lifetime / Searching for the bottom line
Kelly worked hard throughout her life to find the essential truth of her existence.
I wasn't into searching / 'Cause I was doing fine
The artist did not see the need to deeply contemplate their own life because they felt content with the current situation.
I wasn't into fighting, chasing, / Sweating, slaving, fretting, racing
The singer did not engage in intense or anxious activity to pursue things in life.
Any waste of effort / Isn't part of my design
The singer prefers to focus their energy on efficient and effective pursuits.
Billy was an inspiration, / Positive and kind
Billy served as a role model for the artist, who saw him as upbeat and supportive.
Until he let confusion / Overcome his youthful mind
The artist observed that Billy was blindsided by confusion and uncertainty as he grew older.
Common sense dictated / I could never be so blind
The artist felt confident in their own critical thinking ability, and certain they would never be as perplexed as Billy.
And then / Then I see you
As the plot twists, the singer's perspective changes as they unexpectedly encounter the person they have been missing.
Happenstance an episode unplanned, / Alone in time
Sometimes life events occur unexpectedly, in isolation and isolation from other people.
Coincidence, the second chance / Re-sounding like a rhyme
Fate can provide opportunities for a second encounter, even if it seems unlikely, and this may feel poetically perfect.
How paths may cross against the odds / To wreck the plans you made
The singer is amazed at how unlikely it is for certain paths to cross, and how this can change their future plans significantly.
Among the crowd a face that smiles / To melt your masquerade
In spite of the singer's efforts to hide their true feelings or appearance, someone manages to see through this and genuinely smile at them.
If only I could see you / Says the stranger deep inside / And lets you know that when you were / So sure you really lied
The artist's longing for the person they have met once is revealed to be coming from a deep place inside their heart, and they realize the falsehoods they have been telling themselves until this point.
If only I could see you / Says the voice within your brain / And quietly, insistently / It says it once again
The artist's internal monologue reinforces their desire to see the person they have met again, despite the uncertainty of its feasibility.
It wouldn't seem so lonely / If only I could see you
The singer realizes that the source of their loneliness is the lack of contact with the person they long for.
Baby, you can be free / If only I could see you
The singer believes that if they could only see this person again, they could bring them comfort and set them free from what they perceive to be a difficult situation.
You'll never have to doubt me / If only I could see you
The artist thinks that the appearance of this person would reinforce their trust for one another, and they could be sure their bond is unbreakable.
Baby, you could free me / If only I could see you
The artist perceives a mutual strategy where not only could they offer freedom to the person they love, but they too could be emotionally liberated.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind