Human

n/a

I'll do this stanza by stanza.

Humans have evolved so much since their beginnings, and Ellie thinks that they may burst soon, so she tells us to "let it all out", referring to our insignificant feelings and problems. I think Ellie is referring to a human as complex, with a dual nature. One one hand, we cannot fully love or hate anything, but it is only a close illusion. This is because we see only what we see and feel now. Ellie, in comparison, is looking at the big picture too much that she's losing sight of what she's doing and wants to "be someone, to be human". At the same time, she's thinking how horrible humans can be----evidence being the evolution that was referenced in the beginning. "I would give my life to be human". I think this is very interesting line. My take is that Ellie is so frustrated with her mind, which is trying to push her to the limit of life, that she wants to give it all up and be human---as in, settle for reaching absolutely nothing (which ties back into the part about humans neither fully loving or hating). Now Ellie is thinking that she has all the tools to be human, and she's wondering why she would ever waste them because she wants to be alive---and she feels she's never felt it before. "Human I'm trying not to lose my faith in you"----Ellie is having doubts. But she reassures herself by saying that she's explicated every aspect of being human, which is as vast as an ocean. In the bridge, Ellie says that she "used to hear it all so loud, the sound of my heart breaking", showing how she's been trying to reach the limit of love. But now "the truth is waiting to be found", saying that love can never be fully reached. A part of Ellie is still trying to reach it though, but she expects at some point she will concede to the truth.

Overall, I think the lyrics are very complicated but one of the best I've ever heard. I connect so well to this song, and I absolutely love it.

I think this song is about a person comparing thereself to someone who seems so perfect. They aspire to be like this 'human' and turn their life around. This is my interpretation of the lyrics.

"Human behave yourself, You have burst at the seams Let it all fall out open your mouth" - She is singing about someone who is too perfect and this takes a lot of energy so they are on the verge of exploding. She wants them to just let go and make a mistake so that she doesn't seem so flawed compared to them.

"Often I lie wide awake, Think of things I can make But I don't seem to have the parts to build them" - She wants to make something of her life but she doesn't know how.

"Human I wonder why you're a better make Than I could ever build or create, You know not love or hate" - She is again admiring how perfect this person is and saying that they have the ability to feel mixed emotions whereas she can only ever see one side of things and isn't as broad minded.

"I am so scared of what will kill me In the end for I am not prepared, I hope I will get the chance to be someone, To be human" - She is scared of dying without making something of her life. Her life is a mess and she wants to change that.

"Human I'm trying to come clean, I will be a better me, I will not drink until I'm dead I'll make the most of it." - She is telling this person she wants to change.

"I don't know what it's like to be alive, To say goodbye, To cry a thousand tears Because my ears won't listen" - She doesn't know how to say goodbye because people in her life have always left without saying goodbye. She has stopped herself from crying and feeling anything in a way of protecting herself emotionally, to the point where she no longer remembers what it feels like to feel.

"Human I'm trying not to lose my faith in you, I've sussed out all that I've seen through, I've sailed an ocean" - She has thought about 'becoming human' for a while and is trying not to doubt this way of life.

"I used to hear it all so loud, The sound of my heart breaking." - She used to feel emotion but no longer can.

"The truth is waiting to be found, I trust that I will take it" - She is finally going to open up her heart again and let herself feel.

God, this song in genius...

I heard it was about an addict, like meepslove explains, and i guess with the lines

"Human i'm trying to come clean I will be a better me I will not drink until i'm dead I'll make the most of it"

You can't really see past those lines as to what the root of the song could be. But the way this song is written is one of the most beautiful portrayals of something so deep and so real, wanting to be human. This song means a lot to me, the lyrics are exactly how my life was once, and i guess still is; wanting to feel and not just be like a ghost in this world anymore. With being so out of touch with everything you even lose feeling in the numbness that you have... This is just breathtaking :)

The lines "human behave yourself" and "you know not love or hate" as innfls pointed out don't seem to make much sense. As far as I can tell they only make sense when you think of the song as a conversation between a an emotional human having a breakdown and either, a robot, an unemotional human consoler, or their own self (slightly bipolar). Who they're talking to doesn't matter, but it is important that there is talk about wanting to be emotionless and wanting to have emotion.

A robot wants to be able to feel and a human wants to not make mistakes and cry. Anyways that's my convoluted interpretation.

this song is undeniably beautiful. such a lovely way to sing about humanity, or perhaps even, the state of feeling inhuman.

Ellie's lyrics are so transfixing and so beautifully wound together they make me want to want to cry, laugh,sing, dance or do SOMETHING, anything at ALL. There is no telling what the song means, all we know is that it's beautiful and inspiring. You keep on writhing and singing, Miss Goulding! We love you!

I like to think its about feeling so different that you don't really class yourself as human, when you can observe everyone else living their lives, loving and making mistakes, and you'd just give anything to be like them. When you know that theres so much to gain from being close to people, but you just don't know how, so you're scared to die because you don't feel that you've really lived yet.

the lines "human behave yourself" and "you know not love or hate" don't seem to suggest that she's "numb" or very approving of humans, although the rest of the lines do. Very confusing song

I relate to this song in my own way.. A lot of times in life, I feel like there's a gap between myself and others. For example, when my friends mom died, everyone in my grade (it's a small, private, all girl school so we're close) was crying, including a few teachers. I wasn't. I pitied the girl, but I didn't feel grief. Some girls, even some of my close friends ridiculed me for my lack of emotion, but even then I didn't feel affected. I want to fit in, and strangely enough, I want their comments to be able to hurt me, but I just don't know how to "be human".