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Human League


A little something about Human League
The Human League was founded in 1977 by Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, neither of whom had any formal musical experience. Both were computer operators who saw a future for electronic music, and had a desire to be a part of that future. The group was rounded out by 'singer' Philip Oakey and 'visual director' Adrian Wright, forming a quartet that relied far more on slides and other visuals than their music. Still, the group's creative performances resulted in a cult following and good word-of-mouth, to the extent that they were asked to tour with Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1979. Eventually these unorthodox live shows would be their undoing, as they were dropped from a 1980 Talking Heads tour when news leaked out that they would be presenting visuals and prerecorded music while the band members mingled with the audience. In October the group split, with founders Ware and Marsh leaving to establish the British Electric Foundation, and later, Heaven 17. Instead of scrapping the Human League's upcoming tour, Oakey called friend Ian Burden to fill in on bass and keyboards, and added Joanne Catherall and Susanne Sulley to sing back-up, dance, and distract attention from the overall lack of music. The addition of guitarist Jo Callis in 1981 completely the band's quick recovery, which resulted in 1981's synth-pop classic, Dare. Some 14 months after what looked like the end of the Human League, the new line-up had an international number 1 in "Don't You Want Me." While Heaven 17 scored a couple hits with "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing" and "Let Me Go," Human League continued to churn out successful, increasingly cheesy synth-pop tunes, "Mirror Man" and "Fascination" being among the cheesiest. By 1986 the line-up had been reduced to Oakey, Sulley and Catherall, who without the benefit of any formal musical training between them scored their second number 1 with "Human."

Lyrics featured below: "Don't you want me", "Human", "(Keep feeling) Fascination".

Don't you want me

You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I met you
I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around
Turned you into someone new
Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet
Success has been so easy for you
But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now
And I can put you back down too

CHORUS:
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me
It's much too late to find
You think you've changed your mind
You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me oh
Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me oh

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
That much is true
But even then I knew I'd find a much better place
Either with or without you
The five years we have had have been such good times
I still love you
But now I think it's time I lived my life on my own
I guess it's just what I must do

CHORUS

Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me oh
Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me oh

Human League

Come on, baby, dry your eyes
Wipe your tears
Never like to see you cry
Won't you please forgive me?

I wouldn't ever try to hurt you
I just needed someone to hold me
To fill the void while you were gone
To fill this space of emptiness

I'm only human
Of flesh and blood I'm made
Human
Born to make mistakes

So many nights I longed to hold you
So many times I looked and saw your face
Nothing could change the way I feel
No-one else could ever take your place

I'm only human
Of flesh and blood I'm made
Human
Born to make mistakes

I am just a man

Please forgive me

The tears I cry aren't tears of pain
They're only to hide my guilt and shame
I forgive you now I ask the same of you
While we were apart I was human too

I'm only human
Of flesh and blood I'm made
I am just a man
Human
Born to make mistakes


(Keep feeling) fascination

(Keep Feeling) Fascination

If it seems a little time is needed
Decisions to be made
The good advice of friends unheeded
The best of plans mislaid

Just looking for a new direction
In an old familiar way
The forming of a new connection
To study or to play

And so the conversation turned
Until the sun went down
And many fantasies were learned
On that day

Keep feeling fascination
Passion burning
Love so strong
Keep feeling fascination
Looking learning
Moving on

Well the truth may need some
Re-arranging
Stories to be told
And plain to see the facts are changing
No meaning left to hold

And so the conversation turned
Until the sun went down
And many fantasies were learned
On that day

And so the conversation turned
Until the sun went down
And many fantasies were learned
On that day