☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are about natural human desires and impulses that are often misunderstood or criticized by society.
- The lines 'Get me out / Into the nighttime / Four walls won't hold me tonight' illustrate the singer's urge to embrace life outside.
- The line 'Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature' is a defense against imaginary criticism questioning the singer's behavior.
- The lyrics tell the story of how the singer lives out his dreams and desires in the city.
- It is a call to accept and understand human behavior instead of condemning or questioning it.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Human Nature' by
Michael Jackson are about the basic human desires and impulses that are often misunderstood or criticized by society. The lyrics tell the story of a nighttime city where the singer feels the urge to get out of his room and indulge in life outside of it ('Get me out / Into the nighttime / Four walls won't hold me tonight').
The singer observes a woman and feels an attraction towards her ('See that girl / She knows I'm watching / She likes the way I stare'). This can be interpreted as an expression of natural sexual attraction. The repeated line 'Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature' is a response to imaginary voices or criticism questioning this attraction or the singer's behavior. Jackson defends his actions as purely human nature.
The song lyrics continue with the awakening of the city, where the singer continues to live out his dreams and desires ('Looking out / Across the morning / Where the city's heart begins to beat / Reaching out / I touch her shoulder / I'm dreaming of the street'). The song ends with the same lines of defense, indicating the ongoing criticism and misunderstanding in society.
In summary, 'Human Nature' is about the natural human desires and impulses that are often misunderstood or criticized, and the defense of these as an integral part of human nature. It is a call to accept and understand human behavior rather than condemn or question it.