<p id=”par-1_56″>Some <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/classic-rock/”>classic rock</a> songs were controversial on purpose and others became controversial by accident. For example, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/rock-star-said-god-allowed-paul-mccartney-write-the-beatles-let-it-be.html/”>Brandon Flowers revealed</a> that an unusual line from The Killers’ “Human” had a line that was widely misunderstood. The track is a lot more moralistic than most dance tunes — which might have something to do with the band’s background.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-fans-misheard-a-word-from-the-killers-human”>Fans misheard a word from The Killers’ ‘Human’</h2>
<p id=”par-2_64″>“Human” includes the unusual line “Are we human or are we dancer?” According to a 2008 <a href=”https://www.gigwise.com/news/47201/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Gigwise</a> article, Flowers discussed the lyrics with MTV News and how fans misheard “dancer” as “denser.” “I guess it bothers people that it’s not grammatically correct, but I think I’m allowed to do whatever I want,” Flowers said. “‘Denser?’ I hadn’t heard that one. I don’t like ‘denser.’”</p>
<p id=”par-3_49″>Flowers hoped his music wasn’t getting too didactic. “I don’t want to be too much of a preacher,” <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-killers-sequel-prequel-mr-brightside-inspired-elton-john.html/”>the “Mr. Brightside” singer</a> said. “I say that it’s a mild social statement, and that’s all I’m gonna say. We’re still trying to write the best pop songs we can write.”</p>
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<iframe title=”The Killers – Human (Official Music Video)” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/RIZdjT1472Y?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-famous-author-inspired-the-killers-to-write-the-song”>A famous author inspired The Killers to write the song</h2>
<p id=”par-4_69″>During a 2013 interview with <a href=”https://ew.com/article/2013/11/14/brandon-flowers-stories-behind-songs/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Entertainment Weekly</a>, Flowers said “Human” wasn’t meant to be as divisive as it was. “I didn’t know the line ‘Are we human or are we dancer?’ was going to be so controversial!” he said, laughing. “I had seen a Hunter S. Thompson interview <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-green-day-performance-that-the-killers-lead-singer-called-cheap.html/”>where he talks about America</a> and says he fears that we’re raising a generation of dancers. And I adapted that, basically. </p>
<p id=”par-5_47″>“The verse is about the decline in our values and our morals, but everyone just picked up on the chorus,” the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-killers-admitted-1-songs-david-bowie-rip-off.html/”>“All These Things That I’ve Done”</a> star added. “It just became a stumbling block for people, but it’s still a great song. I still love it.” </p>
<p id=”par-6_78″>“Human” certainly sticks out for being one of the rare dance songs that is concerned with morality rather than dancing, finding love, or doing drugs. It replaces the hedonism of most dance music with a more plaintive tone. Flowers is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and many of The Killers’ songs have a Christian undercurrent. It’s easy to see “Human” as a Christian song about the supposed sinfulness of the modern world.</p>
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<iframe title=”The Killers – Human (Live On Letterman)” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/8yGHyIBYAgg?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-killers-wrote-mr-brightside.html/”>
How The Killers Wrote ‘Mr. Brightside’ </a>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-human-was-a-minor-hit-in-the-united-states-and-a-big-hit-in-the-united-kingdom”>‘Human’ was a minor hit in the United States and a big hit in the United Kingdom</h2>
<p id=”par-7_72″>“Human” became a minor hit in the grand scheme of things but it was one of the biggest songs of The Killers’ career. The tune reached No. 32 on the <a href=”https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-killers/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Billboard Hot 100</a>, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. The track was the lead single off of the album<em> Day & Age</em>. That record climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the Billboard 200 for 42 weeks.</p>
<p id=”par-8_66″><a href=”https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/23332/killers/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Official Charts Company</a> reports that “Human” was more popular in the United Kingdom. There, “Human” reached No. 3 and charted for 55 weeks in total. Perhaps British audiences embraced the song because it was reminiscent of the Pet Shop Boys and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-killers-somebody-told-me.html/?swcfpc=1″>other new wave artists</a> from the U.K. Meanwhile, <em>Day & Age</em> was No. 1 for one of its 70 weeks on the U.K. chart.</p>
<p id=”par-9_19″>“Human” is one of the most memorable dance songs of the 2000s even if it has some oblique lyrics.</p>