“Human Nature” is the seventh track on “Thriller” and in the summer of ’83 it became the fifth single to be released. The song hit the top ten on the Billboard charts but was never released in the UK. Despite this it garnered popularity and entered the UK charts for the first time after Michael’s death in 2009. Almost ten years later to the day, SWV released their classic 90s song “Right Here” remix. It heavily sampled “Human Nature” and out performed Michael’s original in the charts.
The song was written by Steve Porcaro, one of the founding members of the band Toto. He wrote it for the band, but they passed on it as it wasn’t in the rock genre they wanted for their stadium concerts. Still, it wasn’t intended for Michael, and it was by pure accident it ended up on Quincy Jones’s lap. Porcaro gave Jones a tape of demos that were meant for Michael. He marked the side Jones should listen to, but none were good enough. Then the tape auto reversed (played the other side) and there was the “why, why, dah dah da-dum dah dah, why, why” of “Human Nature.” At that point Jones requested the lyrics for the verse to be updated by John Bettis, and the rest is history.
Below is the album version as well as the original single 7″ version, which was made available on the “Thriller 40” album in 2022. As well as the single being a shorter edit, as many often are, it was also a slightly alternate version with a different synthesizer arrangement in the instrumental break.
Looking out
Across the night time
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out
Into the night time
Four walls won’t hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl
She knows I’m watching
She likes the way I stare
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
I like livin’ this way
I like lovin’ this way
Looking out
Across the morning
Where the city’s heart begins to beat
Reaching out
I touch her shoulder
I’m dreaming of the street
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
(Repeat ’til end)
Looking out
Across the night time
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out
Into the night time
Four walls won’t hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl
She knows I’m watching
She likes the way I stare
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
I like livin’ this way
I like lovin’ this way
Looking out
Across the morning
Where the city’s heart begins to beat
Reaching out
I touch her shoulder
I’m dreaming of the street
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say —
Why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
(Repeat ’til end)
