You've heard it. That gravelly, soul-shaking baritone booming over a minimalist beat. It’s a song that feels like it’s been around for fifty years, yet it only took over the world back in 2016. When Rory Graham, better known as Rag'n'Bone Man, dropped "Human," he wasn't just releasing a catchy radio hit. He was tapping into a collective exhaustion. People everywhere were—and still are—obsessed with the lyrics of im only human because they offer a rare moment of honesty in a world that demands perfection. It’s a shrug of the shoulders set to music. It's an admission that, despite our technology and our social media posturing, we're all just a bunch of flawed biological machines trying to keep it together.
Honestly, the song's staying power is kind of wild. It’s been used in everything from high-octane video game trailers like Mass Effect: Andromeda to gritty TV dramas. But why?
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lyrics of Human
A lot of listeners hear the chorus and think it's a "get out of jail free" card. They think Graham is just saying, "Hey, I messed up, don't blame me." That’s a surface-level take. If you actually look at the verses, the song is a direct confrontation with the way we treat celebrities, leaders, and even our partners. It's a rejection of the "prophet" or "messiah" status we thrust upon people.
Graham sings about not being a prophet or a messiah. He’s telling the listener—and perhaps the music industry at large—to stop looking to him for the answers to life’s biggest problems. We live in an era where we expect influencers and artists to have a perfectly curated moral compass. We want them to be our North Star. But the lyrics of im only human remind us that the man behind the mic is just as confused as the person in the front row. He’s got skin and bones. He makes mistakes. He’s not a "heaven-sent" solution to your internal drama.
The Burden of Expectations
Think about the line where he mentions looking in the mirror. It's such a simple image, right? But it hits deep. He’s asking what you see when you look at yourself. Do you see a saint? Probably not. So why do we expect the people we see on screen to be anything else? This isn't just about fame. It’s about the weight of human expectation in everyday relationships.
We’re all guilty of it. We want our friends to be perfect. We want our kids to be perfect. We want our politicians to be perfect. When they inevitably fail—because they are, well, human—we act shocked. We feel betrayed. Graham’s lyrics are a preemptive strike against that betrayal. He’s saying, "Don't put me on a pedestal, because I’m definitely going to fall off it."
A Breakdown of the Key Themes
The song is built on a few core pillars that resonate across cultures.
- Fallibility. This is the big one. The central thesis. We are designed to fail. It’s in our DNA.
- The Blame Game. There’s a recurring question: "Don't put the blame on me." It’s an interesting choice of words. It suggests a world where everyone is looking for a scapegoat.
- The Mirror. This is the internal struggle. It’s about self-perception versus the image we project to others.
The structure of the song is actually quite clever. It starts with a heavy, almost tribal beat. It feels grounded. Earthy. It doesn't sound like a "pop" song. It sounds like something being dragged out of the mud. This matches the lyrical content perfectly. If the song were too polished, the message wouldn't land. It needs that dirt under its fingernails.
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Why the Song Felt Different in 2016
Context matters. When "Human" hit the charts, we were in the middle of a massive cultural shift. Social media was entering its most performative era. Everything was filtered. Everything was "goals." Into that environment comes this giant of a man with tattoos and a voice like a landslide, telling everyone to calm down because nobody knows what they're doing.
It was a relief.
It was the musical equivalent of taking off a pair of shoes that are too tight.
The Production Behind the Message
You can't talk about the lyrics of im only human without mentioning the work of Jamie Hartman. He co-wrote the track with Graham, and the two of them captured lightning in a bottle. They didn't overcomplicate it. They let the vocals do the heavy lifting. There are parts of the song where the music almost disappears, leaving Graham’s voice vulnerable and exposed.
That’s a deliberate choice.
If you’re singing about being "only human," you can't hide behind a wall of synthesizers. You have to let the cracks show. You have to let the breathiness and the grit be heard. This is what makes the song feel "real" to listeners. It doesn't feel like a corporate product. It feels like a confession.
Comparison to Other "Human" Songs
We’ve seen this theme before. Think of Christina Perri’s "Human" or The Killers' "Human."
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Perri’s version is more about fragility. It’s about how much a person can take before they break. It’s emotional and delicate. The Killers’ version is... well, it’s a bit more abstract (the whole "Are we human or are we dancer?" debate is a rabbit hole we don't need to go down right now).
But Rag'n'Bone Man's take is different. It’s not about fragility. It’s about sturdiness. It’s about the strength required to admit you’re flawed. It’s a more masculine, grounded perspective on the same universal truth. He’s not saying he’s going to break; he’s saying he’s just not who you think he is.
The Impact on Mental Health Conversations
While it might not have been the primary intent, "Human" became a bit of an anthem for the mental health movement. The line "I'm no prophet or messiah" is a great way to describe the pressure people feel to "have it all together." In the years since the song's release, we've seen a massive push for authenticity online. People are tired of the "perfect life" facade.
When you look at the lyrics of im only human, you’re looking at a blueprint for self-compassion. If the guy on the radio is allowed to be "only human," then maybe you are, too. Maybe it’s okay that you didn't finish your to-do list. Maybe it’s okay that you snapped at your partner. It doesn't mean you're a bad person; it means you’re operating within the limits of your species.
How to Apply the "Human" Philosophy to Your Life
Reading the lyrics is one thing. Living them is another. If we take Graham’s message seriously, there are a few practical ways to shift our perspective.
- Lower the pedestal. Stop expecting the people in your life to be flawless. Whether it's your boss or your spouse, remember they're carrying the same biological baggage you are.
- Audit your "blame" reflex. Next time something goes wrong, notice if your first instinct is to find someone to blame. The song suggests this is a futile exercise.
- Practice "Mirror Honesty." Be real with yourself about your limitations. It’s not about being self-deprecating; it’s about being accurate.
- Embrace the "Grit." Don't try to polish over every mistake. Sometimes the most beautiful parts of a person (or a song) are the parts that are a little rough around the edges.
The Longevity of a Simple Truth
Rory Graham once mentioned in an interview with NME that he didn't expect the song to be such a massive hit. He thought it was just a good track they’d written in a session. But that’s usually how the best songs happen. They aren't engineered in a lab to hit specific demographic markers. They come from a place of genuine feeling.
The lyrics of im only human work because they don't try to be clever. They don't use metaphors that require a PhD to decode. They use plain English to describe a complex feeling. It’s a song for the person stuck in traffic, the person working a double shift, and the person staring at a screen wondering why everyone else seems to have their life figured out.
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It turns out, they don’t.
They’re just human.
To truly understand the weight of this track, listen to the acoustic versions. Without the stomping beat, the lyrics take on a much more somber tone. It moves from a defiant anthem to a quiet plea for understanding. This versatility is the hallmark of great songwriting. It can mean different things depending on the day you’re having.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the expectations of the world, go back and give those lyrics another look. There’s a lot of freedom in admitting you don’t have all the answers. In fact, it might be the most honest thing you can do.
Next Steps for Music Lovers and Lyric Hunters
To get the most out of Rag'n'Bone Man's work, don't stop at the radio edits. Check out the live performances from Jools Holland or the Abbey Road sessions. You'll hear the nuances in the lyrics of im only human that are sometimes lost in the heavy radio compression. Also, look into his earlier EP, Wolves. It provides the necessary context for his soulful, hip-hop-influenced style that eventually birthed his biggest hit. If you're a songwriter yourself, take a page from his book: stop trying to be a prophet and just start being a person. The world has enough prophets; it needs more humans.