Human Nature

"Human Nature"Single by Michael Jackson
General information
Released	July 3, 1983
Recorded	1981 (Porcaro's demo) 1982
Studio	Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	R&B • quiet storm • soft rock
Length	4:06 (album version) 3:47 (single version)
Album	Thriller
Label	Epic Records
Writer(s)	Steve Porcaro • John Bettis
Producer(s)	Quincy Jones
Singles chronology
Previous	"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
Current	"Human Nature"
Next	"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
Track list
Previous	"Billie Jean"
Current	"Human Nature"
Next	"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
Music video
Live At Wembley July 16, 1988
Audio

"Human Nature" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released as the seventh track from the Thriller album. It was released as a single on July 3, 1983, serving as the fifth single from the album. It is considered one of Jackson's most famous and well-known songs. "Human Nature" was released as a B-side to the "Leave Me Alone" single, and was later re-released as a B-side to the "Gone Too Soon" single, alongside "She's Out of My Life" and "Thriller".

Background

Steve Porcaro of Toto made a rough demo "Human Nature" at his studio in 1981, around the same time "Africa" by Toto was being mixed. David Paich, Toto's keyboardist, added some synthesizer strings. The band was offered "Human Nature", but due to their preference for stadium rock-oriented material, they passed on it.

Paich was writing potential songs for Thriller, preparing demos for Quincy Jones to hear. Thus, he asked Steve to make Jones cassette tapes with those tracks. Porcaro was running out of cassettes at the time, so he used the one with the "Human Nature" demo. He copied Paich's tracks on the reverse side, marking that on the label as the side Jones should listen to.

Jones followed the label and listened to Paich's songs first. However, he felt they didn't fit Thriller. He left the tape playing after the songs finished and accidentally heard "Human Nature"; the cassette deck had "auto-reverse" capability, which played the other side of the tape as soon as the first side finished. As Jones described it:

“	All of a sudden, at the end, there was all this silence, there was: 'why, why, dah dah da-dum dah dah, why, why'. Just a dummy lyric and a very skeletal thing—I get goosebumps talking about it. I said, 'This is where we wanna go, because it's got such a wonderful flavor'.	”
–Quincy Jones

However, Jones was unsatisfied with the original "Human Nature" verse lyrics, asking John Bettis to write new ones. Bettis finished writing them in two days. Jones asked Porcaro and Bettis if "Human Nature" could be included on Thriller, to which they agreed. Porcaro discusses Bettis' input in "Human Nature":

“	At the last minute, Quincy (Jones) asked me if I'd mind if John Bettis took a shot at the verse lyrics, and I said, 'No, not at all.' I didn't consider myself a great lyricist. Sometimes what just came out of my mouth when I was writing, I mean like the chorus on "Human Nature" could be keepers. But I was wide open. But with John Bettis, I didn't change a single syllable, he just nailed it. He turned my record into a song, with a beginning, middle and end. Those lyrics are amazing and I don't talk about that enough.	”
–Porcaro in an interview, 2016

As Jones liked "Human Nature" in its demo form, it didn't undergo significant changes when it was finished for the album. Porcaro (who already played most of the parts and had helped Jackson with vocal phrasing) was approached by Bruce Swedien to help reproduce the "Why, why" delay effects that were heard on the demo.

Live performances

"Human Nature" debuted during the Victory Tour, going on to be performed during Jackson's Bad World Tour, Dangerous World Tour, and the Royal Brunei concert.

It was also planned to be performed for the This Is It concerts, but they were canceled due to Jackson's death; however, it was included on the posthumous album to coincide with the concerts. Toto also has performed "Human Nature" in some of their shows with vocals by Joseph Williams.

Lyrics

[Intro]
Why?

[Verse 1]
Looking out across the nighttime
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice, shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out into the nighttime
Four walls won't hold me tonight
If this town is just an apple
Then let me take a bite

[Chorus]
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?)
Tell them that it's human nature
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?)
Tell them that it's human nature
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?

[Verse 2]
Reaching out to touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl, she knows I'm watching
She likes the way I stare

[Chorus]
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?)
Just tell them that it's human nature
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?)
(She's giving in by keeping him a-round)
Tell them that it's human nature
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?

[Bridge]
I like livin' this way
I like lovin' this way
(That way) Why? Oh, why?
(That way) Why? Oh, why?

[Verse 3]
Looking out across the morning
The city's heart begins to beat
Reaching out, I touch her shoulder
I'm dreaming of the street

[Chorus]
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?)
Tell them that it's human nature
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?)
(She's giving in by keeping him a-round)
Ooh-ooh, tell 'em!
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?), why (Why?)
Cha-da-cha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha (Aah-ah)
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
If they say why (Why? Why?), why (Why? Why? Why?)
(She's giving in by keeping him a-round)
Ooh-ooh, tell 'em! (Aah-ah)
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?), why (Why?)
Ooh, tell 'em!
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
If they say why (Why?), why (Why?)
(She's giving in by keeping him a-round)
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da
Why (Why?), why (Why?), does he do me that way?
I like living this way

[Outro]
Why? Oh, why? (That way)
Why? Oh, why? (That way)
Why? Oh, why? (That way)

Gallery

Vinyl back cover

Vinyl

"Look deep within yourself, and you'll find something amazing." To view the Human Nature gallery, click here.

Trivia

• Jeff Porcaro, Steve's brother and Toto's drummer, is credited with drums on "Human Nature". However, a drum machine was used in the final song, with cymbals kept from Jeff's drum take.
• "Human Nature" is featured on the international version of Number Ones.
• When Bettis submitted the new lyrics to "Human Nature", he had retitled it "I Like Living This Way". However, Jones changed it back to the original title.