Being a lover of music ever since I was a child, I was able to listen to musicians/songwriters from different generations. With the wonders of today's technology, I should really be very grateful for being able to experience timeless (or and sometimes dated) music.
With that, I observed a common subject: being human. Many songwriters wrote about events that happened to them which in turn were relatable to listeners. Relatability, for me, could be the primary reason why songs could sell or become hits.
Interestingly, there were also songs written bearing the same title, or almost identical ones, like these three:
1) Only Human by the Jonas Brothers
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| "Only Human" promotional photo from Wikipedia |
As part of their massive 2019 comeback, the Jonas Brothers released an album called "Happiness Begins" and one of the singles was "Only Human".
Unlike the other songs on this list, this had a lighter subject and was not in any way about the tragedy of being trapped in the cycle of sadness. However, it talked of the indecisiveness and lack of focus that humans normally have.
Described in the form of romance, human's indecisiveness often becomes a hindrance in letting happiness begin. In reality, the described romance may be replaced with dreams and goals that we are so used to dream and fantasize of without actually doing the work and.effort required.
2) Only Human by Jason Mraz
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| "Only Human" promotional photo from Wikipedia |
Perhaps this was the most beautiful composition among the three on this list. Jason Mraz gave his listeners another masterfully-created craft. Starting off with a smooth bassline, the song's opening lines were ushered in as he sang "A squirrel in the tree, is he watching me? Does he give a damn? Does he care who I am?". Questions were already asked and the mystery of the song would just go on until its final chord would be played.
Like most of his compositions, actual meanings were left to the listeners' own interpretations. With that, there could be tons of literal and figurative interpretations of the song, which in turn captured the very essence of being human - being adaptive to cope with the different seasons of life, being open to changes.
3) You're Only Human (Second Wind) by Billy Joel
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| "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" promotional photo from Wikipedia |
As opposed to Jason Mraz's seemingly metaphorical composition of "Only Human", Billy Joel's "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" featured straightforward and clear storytelling about someone who was about to lose it, told by someone who had conquered his/her inner demons.
Billy Joel was also depressed for a time which in turn led to both sad moments of his life and also truly heartfelt compositions like this one and "Tomorrow Is Today".
"You're Only Human (Second Wind)" talked about the importance of standing up again, and.bouncing back from your mistakes and failures.
Although positive encouragement is great and will always be welcomed, the case is not like that most of the time. Mistakes and failures often define the personality of a person as dictated by the society in which we live in. And that is one human flaw we shall try to refrain from doing. Certain mistakes and wrongdoings shall be punished, penalized even, however, there are still some that should be treated with compassion and understanding. One must know where the fine line is.
"Don't forget your second wind," as the song reminds us.
