☝️ Key Points
- The song tells about the willingness to exert extreme effort and change to meet expectations or please others.
- Despite all efforts, the chorus 'But I'm only human' focuses on human vulnerability and limitations.
- Toxic environments or relationships where someone is built up and then torn down are a central theme.
- The limitation of humans and their human capacity to endure only a certain amount of pain and pressure before breaking down mentally or physically are other key points.
- The song is a reminder that, despite their ability to achieve incredible things, people still have limits and are human.
Interpretation
The song 'Human' by
Christina Perri is an emotional portrayal of humanity and the human ability to surpass boundaries in order to please others or meet expectations. The singer expresses that she can do many things to please others - she can stay awake, smile, laugh, dance, and even play the role that others expect from her. She says, 'I can do it. I can do it. I can endure it.'
However, the chorus 'But I'm only human' emphasizes that she is still human despite all her efforts - she bleeds when she falls, she breaks down, and she can be hurt. The lines 'Your words in my head, knife in my heart. You build me up and then I fall apart' suggest a toxic relationship or environment where she is constantly built up and then torn down again.
In the lines 'I can endure so much until I've had enough', the singer finally shows her limitation and her human ability to only withstand a certain amount of pain and pressure before she collapses. Overall, the song is a powerful reminder that humans, although capable of achieving incredible things, are still human and have their limits.