Musicmonkey1994 November 15th, 2008 12:12PM  

In human you hear "are we human or are we DANCER (not denser). When he says this he means puppets as if we have no control in our life.

Also he says

"my hands are cold...and I'm on my knees"

He is referring to a puppet

cold hands

when not in use they hang to there knees

when he says goodbye to all those emotions
hes doing this because puppets have no emotions.

So it's pretty much "are we in control in our life or are we being controlled"

I guess he used dancer because it would be pretty silly to sing" are we human or are we puppets"

So that's my interpriation!

anonymous November 29th, 2008 01:26PM  

This was the first song The Killers recorded for their Day & Age album, in fact it was recorded during their 2007 Sawdust sessions. Stuart Price, who worked with The Killers on several Sawdust tracks produced this. (Price is best known for co-writing and producing Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor.) Frontman Brandon Flowers told Rolling Stonemagazine how they persuaded Price to helm this track: "When we met him, we were just having dinner with him in London about what he was doing for us at Sawdust, helping us with Sawdust. So I just said, 'what are you doing after dinner?' He said he was free, and we went to his house - he has a studio there - and we recorded 'Human.' We just knew that it just sounded so good—it was only a couple hours we spent, and it wasn't much different that it is now." Price went on to produce the rest of their Day & Age.

Flowers told Rolling Stone the story of the song: "I think we were at a weird festival in Germany. I was just trying to have it be a simple tune, with classic chord changes. The way I described it to Stuart was - I remember saying this to him at dinner - "I got this thing, it's like Johnny Cash meets the Pet Shop Boys. Let's go record it." Flowers added that the band did "the meat and potatoes" then Price worked on the "landscape."

Many of the Killers' fans have been mystified why the song's chorus ("Are we human/ Or are we dancer?"), refers to "dancer" in the singular. Some have wondered if Flowers is in fact singing something else, such as, "denser." MTV News asked Flowers about the nonsensical chorus. He replied: "It's taken from a quote by [author Hunter S.] Thompson: 'We're raising a generation of dancers,' and I took it and ran. I guess it bothers people that it's not grammatically correct, but I think I'm allowed to do whatever I want." He added, laughing: "'Denser'? I hadn't heard that one. I don't like 'denser.'"

The Sunday Times November 16, 2008 asked Flowers how much this song is a critique of this tabloid celebrity era. The Killers frontman replied: "It's part of that. I'll say it's a mild social statement and I'm leaving it at that. I don't wanna be a preacher. The devotion part, I think of my parents being married for 45 years and how that's a dying thing and I'm trying to hold onto some of those things. I am very old-fashioned, I guess. And the older I get, the worse it is. But I dunno if that's what people want to hear!"

L1ghtchaser2 December 3rd, 2008 06:15PM  

"I seem to be human, so may I have this dance?"
I did my best to notice when the call came down the line: Aware of my time to move on.
Up to the platform of surrender: Death bed.
I was brought but I was kind: Brought to death; time to move on; I'm ready for what's next; I'm ok with it.
And sometimes I get nervous when I see an open door: Fear of death.
Close your eyes, clear your heart. Cut the cord: It's my time to move on. To die & leave this existence.
Are we human or are we dancer?: Do we exist solely as humans, in our human form, or are we temporal - eternal and have life after death?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold: An outward, visible sign of an inward & spiritual grace of a life that has it's origin other than in the physical.
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer: Praying, entering into a spiritual communion with God.
Pay my respects to grace: God's loving mercy displayed to man for the salvation of his soul.
...and virtue: An order of Angels (moral excellence & goodness).
Send my condolences to good: Sad to leave and say goodbye to the past.
Hear my regards to soul and romance: Say goodbye to my human form & close loved ones.
They always did the best they could: Taught me to live in grace & with virtue.
And so long to devotion. You taught me everything I know: Goodbye to love given with the whole heart & will (i.e. parents, family & friends).
Wave goodbye, wish me well. You've gotta let me go: It's my time to move on. Don't be sad, I'm moving to a better place.
Will your system be alright when you dream of home tonight: What will happen to your vital bodily functions, your ideas & images of the past, your place of birth (earth, this existence) when it happens (death)?
There is no message we're receiving: Written or spoken communication.
Let me know, is your heart still beating?: Have you left this life, this existence?
Single line - You've gotta let me KNOW: Is there more to it than I've been taught or heard of?
Last chorus - Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold.
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer.
Are we human or are we dancer... and leave tis existence because we surrender our spirit, our everlasting spirit, and go because it is time for the next phase? Does my soul exist for eternity? Do we exist in other forms? Do we return in another human form, as an animal, or as a spirit? Do we come back because we left business unfinished and we must try again to make things right? Do you believe in Karma? Do you ever get the feeling that we as humans aren't getting it right and also not doing it right. We are HUMAN so let's strive for balance and harmony. We are DANCER so let's free ourselves of fear. We can dance alone (since this is where it starts - a good inner you)and give instead of taking so much(as in GREED). And we can dance with partners - humankind, mother earth, and a supreme being be it God or any name you have to describe the center of your universe. We'll dance until...

Peace
IthinkI'm1

kirvinki January 3rd, 2009 08:46AM  

I hope I can convey this to you as best as I see it.

I think this song is about a generation of people who cannot stand up and take responsibility/control of their lives as they should.
We do see "open doors" and opportunities, however we do not know how to use them. "cut the cord"
We are a generation , or even a smaller smaller group of individuals, and we all understand and have morals, virtues, and great faith in each of us.
We were taught by our parents and upbringing everything we needed to survive in life. But as children of the 80's, 90's, we saw the world change drastically.
And this is where we have no answers. we know we are human, but we feel like dancers. Dancers have a short shelf life.
we do not know what the future holds "there is no message we're recieving"
let me know, is your heart still beating
To me, it asks how long will we have this planet that we call home.

anonymous January 5th, 2009 11:09PM  

The more understandable version of this song is the book "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. (and perhaps Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
To me, this song talks about a partying way of life: Are we dancers? Is dancing (partying) all we live for? (Or are we human and therefore have a larger purpose?)- Note that Hunter S. Thompson said America is "raising a generation of dancers."
Ultimately, this is a song, too, about nihilistic beliefs:
"Pay my respects to grace and virtue
send my condolences to good
give my regards to soul and romance
They always did the best they could
so long to devotion . . ."
These "useless" sentiments are dying out. And also:
"There's no message we're receiving."

Also, the decline of exploration and curiosity:
"Sometimes I get nervous when I see an open door"
We've become so comfortable and spoiled . . .
"Cut the cord" might be talking about growing up and breaking free of the corrosive trash culture.
"My signs are vital/My hands are cold" has a contradictory feel that could be questioning what "living" really means: are you "living" if all you seek is pleasure? What does it mean to be human? He's on his knees, forced down by the magnitude and importance of this question, praying that he can find the answer. As we all are . . .

anonymous November 9th, 2009 11:47PM  

ARE WE HUMAN, OR ARE WE DANCER? my idea-- do we care? are we really people? are we civilized, and willing to look out for one another? or do we simply dance around any issues that can be conveniently avoided? human: compassionately kind: showing kindness, compassion, or approachability dance: evade issue: to talk misleadingly so as to avoid facing an issue squarely dictionary definitions, 'nuff said.