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.
The Touchables
The Human League Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your conversation will suffice
I feel the need that's known to all
Better use it up before the levels fall
You can take me back to the primal drive
You can carry on until we arrive
Hypnotised inside
Now I'm not young and you're not old
Crazed friends so bold
It's not easy to conceal
When you're so touchable
People will hide indifference
Just to be touchable
They still emit split second screams
When they are touchable
Under the surface just for kicks
Sincerely touchable
You say it's okay, but what do I feel
Guilt, compassion, or Achilles Heel
Little feet march down grey matter hill
Then panic occurs, no seeds to spill
What's the matter now
Please look up and speak
Your spirit's wilting and your flesh is weak
Eight days a week
I can't imagine what'll happen now
I wonder when and I wonder how
The end will come
It's not easy to conceal
When you're so touchable
People will hide indifference
Just to be touchable
It's not easy to conceal
When you're so touchable
People will hide indifference
Just to be touchable
They still emit split second screams
When they are touchable
Under the surface just for kicks
Sincerely touchable
The final answer to all our fears
Abrupt conclusion to all our years
Still touchable but no one hears
They carry on hypnotised inside
"The Touchables" by The Human League is a song that deals with the idea of vulnerability and the need for physical contact. The lyrics hint at a person's eagerness to experience physical intimacy and touch, without being explicit about it. The song talks about the primal urge that drives people to seek connection with others on a physical level, and how it is important to act on it before it fades away.
The lyrics suggest a feeling of guilt and the struggle to express oneself honestly, indicating that the person may be conflicted about their desires. The lines, "You say it's okay, but what do I feel, guilt, compassion, or Achilles Heel?" imply that the individual is struggling with their emotions and trying to come to terms with them. The song ends with a bleak view of the future, with the lyrics suggesting an "abrupt conclusion to all our years" and a world where people are "hypnotized inside."
Line by Line Meaning
Speaking of which, what is your choice
What is your decision on the matter we were discussing earlier?
Your conversation will suffice
Your words are enough to satisfy me
I feel the need that's known to all
I have a natural urge that everyone experiences
Better use it up before the levels fall
It's best to act upon this desire before it weakens or goes away
You can take me back to the primal drive
You can bring out the most basic and instinctual part of me
You can carry on until we arrive
Continue doing what you're doing until we reach our destination
Hypnotised inside
Feeling entranced or mesmerized internally
Now I'm not young and you're not old
We're not in our youth and we're not elderly
I'd rather purchase than be sold
I prefer to be the one buying rather than being sold something
Crazed friends so bold
My daring and unpredictable friends
It's not easy to conceal
It's difficult to hide
When you're so touchable
When you have a desire for human contact
People will hide indifference
Others will pretend to care even if they don't feel anything at all
Just to be touchable
In order to fulfill that craving for touch
They still emit split second screams
They still express a brief moment of feeling alive
When they are touchable
When they can feel skin-to-skin contact
Under the surface just for kicks
Beneath the exterior, simply for personal enjoyment
Sincerely touchable
Genuinely wanting and needing physical touch
You say it's okay, but what do I feel
You tell me it's alright, but what are my own emotions
Guilt, compassion, or Achilles Heel
I may be feeling guilty or compassionate, or perhaps revealing my weakness
Little feet march down grey matter hill
My thoughts and decisions proceed hesitantly and cautiously
Then panic occurs, no seeds to spill
Anxiety arises, but there's nothing to reveal or confess
What's the matter now
What is causing the problem currently
Please look up and speak
Raise your head and communicate
Your spirit's wilting and your flesh is weak
You're emotionally drained and physically exhausted
Eight days a week
All the time, without any breaks
I can't imagine what'll happen now
I have no idea what will occur next
I wonder when and I wonder how
I'm curious about the timing and manner of the upcoming events
The end will come
The conclusion is approaching
The final answer to all our fears
The ultimate solution to all our worries
Abrupt conclusion to all our years
An unexpected end to all our life so far
Still touchable but no one hears
Still in need of touch and contact, but no one is responding
They carry on hypnotised inside
Others continue to be mesmerized or entranced internally
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind