Human Being

by **Soulmonster** Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:15 am

HUMAN BEING

Album:
The Spaghetti Incident?, 1993, track no. 4.

Written by:
Johnny Thunders and David Johansen (New York Dolls).

Musicians:
Vocals: W. Axl Rose
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Slash
Rhythm Guitar: Gilby Clarke
Bass: Duff McKagan
Drums: Matt Sorum
Piano: Dizzy Reed
Kazoo: W. Axl Rose

Live performances:
'Human Being' has not been played live.

Lyrics:

Ready
A whole different beast
1234
1234!
Oh yeeeahh
Oh yeeeeeeahh

Well if you don't like it, go ahead
Find yourself a date, go ahead now
Try to find a boy, whose gonna be what i ain't

What you need is a plastic doll
With a fresh coat of paint
Whose gonna sit through the night
And just always act so quaint

yeah ohhh yeah well uh

It's your new friend
You're really making a scene
And I've seen you bouncin' around
From machine to machine
But you know that
They're never really
Never really what they seem,
But you can try to
Generate some warmth,
Then you'll see just what I mean,
Oh baby, baby, baby yeah

And if I've acted like a king
Don't ya know it's cause I'm a human being
And if I want too many things
Don't ya know it's cause I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
Don't you know it's cause I'm a human being
And when it gets a bit obscene
Don't ya know it's cause, I'm a human being
I just gotta walk around
With my head on down
Just like a human.. one more human being
I can hold my head so high
Just like a human,
A real proud human being

Won't ya gimme a little sip --
Why won't you gimme a drag of that cigarette
Why don't you try to drive me home
And then uh, never ever forget
But now, don't you blow it all
On a million dollar bet
Because you're liable to lose it
On a bet that you've never had yet
No bababy baby oh yeah

And if I've acted like a king
Don't ya know it's cause I'm a human being
And if I want too many things
Don't ya know it's cause I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
Don't you know it's cause I'm a human being
And when it gets a bit obscene
Don't ya know it's cause, I'm a human being
I just gotta walk around
With my head on down
Just like a human.. one more human being
I can hold my head so high
Just like a human,
A real proud human being

It's like I'm talkin' 'bout the human race
You're tryin' to cover up a big disgrace
Baby, yeah, yeah, yeah
Come on, come on, come on

Well I may think that this whole scene is just a
Too appalling for me
Well, I may be the type who's just mad about
Every little thing that I see, but I can
Colour that with history, and make it
Just what I want it to be, well I'm
Blowin' my change on the fan magazines, with all the
Hollywood refugees, oh baby baby oh yeah

And if I've acted like a king
Don't ya know it's cause I'm a human being
And if I want too many things
Don't ya know it's cause I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
Don't you know it's cause I'm a human being
And when it gets a bit obscene
Don't ya know it's cause, I'm a human being
I just gotta walk around
With my head on down
Just like a human.. one more human being
I can hold my head so high
Just like a human,
A real proud human being

Quotes regarding the song

We wanted to do a New York Dolls song and "Human Being" was the best one.

Guitar Player, January 1994

[Being asked if he had noticed that Axl "plays kazoo exactly like he sings"]: Yeah. Yeah. [Laughs warily].

Q Magazine, March 1994