Rag’n’Bone Man’s “Human” Lyrics Meaning

In “Human”, Rag’n’Bone Man is speaking to his mortality.  This is not done in the physical sense, as in the temporalness of his physical body.  Rather he expresses this sentiment along the lines of acknowledging his inherent flaws and inability to resolve certain issues.

In the first verse he does so by referring to his lack of omniscient. That is to say that his attempts to see the truth and deeper meaning behind certain matters is oft an act of vanity.

The second verse deals with the topic of self-deception. Or the way the artist presents the issue is that, generally speaking, sometimes people have a tendency to perceive themselves as something they are not.

And the final verse focuses on the idea of individuals often preferring a peaceful lie over the painful truth. Or perhaps a better way of explaining it is as referencing the human preference to have others’ opinions align with their own. So then if someone does something as simple as disagree with them on certain matters, some people can become very upset as a result.

He’s just only “Human”

And all of these varying ideas are meant to point back to the notion of the Rag’n’Bone Man being “only human after all”. In other words, the singer understands that he cannot understand everything. Also, the way a person views him and herself may not be who they actually are. Moreover, if he has an opinion on a certain matter it is indeed his opinion and therefore cannot agree with everyone else’s.

Additionally, he alludes to the fact that “some people think” he has the ability to solve their harrowing issues. However, being just an average man, as in “no prophet or messiah”, he does not. Instead he advises such individuals to “go looking somewhere higher”, as in a more-outstanding person who fits such a description. Indeed what appears to be the conclusive statement in this track is that only the “Lord [in] heavens above” can resolve some of the issues people face. Thus people should not put the blame on him when problems arise in their lives.

Perhaps Rag’n’Bone Man conceptualized this song as a response to how others relate to his celebrity.  It reads as if people are putting an enormous amount of pressure of him, including expecting him figure out their personal issues and to conform to certain ideas, both of which are stresses financially-successful people in the spotlight commonly face.  But all things considered, this is a track that most anyone can relate to.  That is because at the end of the day, it speaks to our innate limitations and logical inability to always please others.

Release Date of “Human”

“Human” is the title song from Rag’n’Bone Man’s debut album. It was released as the second single from that project on 21 July 2016.

Song was Rag’n’Bone Man’s Ticket to Stardom

“Human” is the song that put Rag’n’Bone Man on the global map. The track was an international success, topping the music charts in many places, including:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Croatia
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Poland
• Romania
• Russia
• Scotland
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Switzerland

 It also fared well in Rag’n’Bone Man’s native country, peaking at number two in Britain. However, across the pond, it only reached number 74 on America’s Hot 100. Despite this, “Human” still managed to go Platinum in the United States.

Did Rag’n’Bone Man write “Human”?

Yes, he did. He wrote this song alongside songwriter Jamie Hartman. 

And the track was produced by Two Inch Punch.

FYI, Jamie Hartman is a renowned songwriter. Over the years, he has written songs for many big names in the industry, including Kygo, Lewis Capaldi and Jennifer Hudson. Some of the notable songs, he has co-written include:

• Backstreet Boys’ “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart“
• Lewis Capaldi’s “Don’t Get Me Wrong”
• Louis Tomlinson’s “Kill My Mind”