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.
Words
The Human League Lyrics
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your throat dries?
Can you see it in the night sky?
Just a mumble round at tea time
Smile
When I'm watching you
When I was a child
We were living in fear
When I was a child
Just a light year from here
Living in fear
Worlds may shatter
Years don't matter
Words came back to haunt you
Worlds may shatter
Years don't matter
Words came back to haunt you
Friends past missing
Reminiscing
Words came back to haunt you
Tolerating propaganda
And your girlfriend, Alexandra
With her secret memorandum
Signs
For an interview
Searching for the light
In the world of the blahs
Masquerading as stars
How can this be right?
You've been going too far
Leaving conscience ajar
Worlds may shatter
Years don't matter
Words came back to haunt you
Friends past missing
Reminiscing
Words came back to haunt you
When I was a child
We were living in fear
Living in fear
Worlds may shatter
Years don't matter
Words came back to haunt you
Worlds may shatter
Years don't matter
Words came back to haunt you
Friends past missing
Reminiscing
Words came back to haunt you
Worlds may shatter
Years don't matter
Words came back to haunt you
Friends past missing
Reminiscing
Words came back to haunt you
The lyrics to The Human League's song "Words" are a reflection on the power of words and their lasting impact on individuals and society. The song begins with questions posed to the listener about being able to feel and see the effects of words, even in the mundane moments of daily life. The verses then touch on themes of fear, propaganda, and secret memos as the singer reflects on their childhood experiences. The chorus emphasizes the idea that words have the ability to haunt and affect people for years to come, regardless of how much time has passed.
The second half of the song shifts to a more introspective perspective, calling out the listener for potentially going too far and leaving their conscience behind. The final repetition of the haunting words emphasizes the idea that the past never truly goes away and has the power to stay with us forever.
Overall, the lyrics to "Words" are a powerful reflection on the importance of language and the responsibility we all have to carefully consider the impact of our words on those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you feel it when your throat dries?
Do you notice the dryness in your throat when feeling anxious or nervous?
Can you see it in the night sky?
Do you sense the darkness and emptiness in the atmosphere?
Just a mumble round at tea time
Casual conversation during tea time
Smile, When I'm watching you
Expressing joy when observing another's happy state
When I was a child, We were living in fear
As a child, experiencing a life full of anxiety and concern
Living in fear
Continuing to live in a state of perpetual dread
Just a light year from here
A short distance away
Worlds may shatter, Years don't matter, Words came back to haunt you
The consequences of actions taken and words spoken last long after the event has passed
Friends past missing, Reminiscing, Words came back to haunt you
Memories and past relationships that have faded away, resurfaced and are now causing regret
Tolerating propaganda, And your girlfriend, Alexandra, With her secret memorandum, Signs for an interview
Being aware of the manipulative and deceptive nature of certain people or groups, and being privy to their hidden agendas
Searching for the light, In the world of the blahs, Masquerading as stars, How can this be right?
Striving to find a sense of purpose or direction in a world that seems dull and uninspiring, where people pretend to be something they are not
You've been going too far, Leaving conscience ajar
Acting in a manner that goes against one's own moral values, resulting in feelings of guilt and regret
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PHILIP OAKEY, RUSSELL ANDREW DENNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind