"Human Being"
(David Johansen/Johnny Thunders)

 

This song, a cover from the New York Dolls, has yet to appear on an album. The song's lyrics are transcribed here as they are heard, without permission.

Uno due tre
Well if you don't like it
Go ahead, find yourself a saint
Go ahead now,
Try to find a boy
Who's gonna be all the things I ain't

What you need is
A plastic doll with a fresh coat of paint
Who's gonna sit through the madness
And always act so quaint
Oh yeah yeah yeah

With your new friends
You're really making a scene
I've seen you bouncing around
From machine to machine

And you know
They're never real
They're never what they seem
And you can try to generate some warmth
And you'll see just what I mean
Oh yeah yeah yeah

And if I'm acting like a king
Well, that's 'cause
I'm a human being
I want too many things
And that's 'cause I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
I said well
I'm a human being
And if it gets to be obscene, yeah
I'm a human being

And I just go around
With my head hung down
Just like a human being
And all those human beings
I can hold my head so high
Just like a human, I'm a riff raff human being

Won't you give me a little sip
Why don't you try me on a drag of that cigarette
Why don't you try to give me something that
I'll never ever forget

But now don't you blow it all
On a million dollar bet
Because you're liable to lose it
On the best lovin' you've had yet 1
Oh yeah yeah yeah

And if I'm acting like a king
Well that's 'cause
I'm a human being
And if I want too many things
That's 'cause I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
I said well
I'm a human being
And if it gets to be obscene, yeah
I'm a human being

And I just go around
With my head hung down
Just like a human being
And all those human beings
I can hold my head so high
Just like a human, I'm a riff raff human being

In fact I'm talking about the human race
Trying to cover up the big disgrace
Yeah yeah yeah

Yeah, yeah, oh yeah
Well I may think that this whole scene is
Too appalling for me
Or I may be the type who is just a-mad about
Everything that I see
But I can't cover this with history
Or make it just what I want it to be
I'm blowing my change on the fan magazines
With all the Hollywood refugees
Said yeah yeah, oh yeah

And If I'm acting like a king
That's 'cause
I'm a human being
And if I want too many things
That's 'cause I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
I said well,
I'm a human being
And if it gets to be obscene, yeah
I'm a human being

 

Here are the lyrics for the original version as sung by the New York Dolls. Differences between Morrissey's words and the original New York Dolls version are in italic.

One two three four!
Well if you don't like it
Go ahead, find yourself a saint
Go ahead now,
Try to find a boy
Who's gonna be what I ain't

Now what you need is
A plastic doll with a fresh coat of paint
Who's gonna sit through the madness
And always act so quaint
Said yeah yeah yeah

With your new friend
You're really making a scene
And I see you bouncing around
From machine to machine

And you know
They're never real
They're never what they seem
And you can try to generate some warmth
And you see just what I mean
I said yeah yeah yeah

And If I'm acting like a king
Well that's cause
I'm a human being
And if I want too many things
Don't you know that I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
Baby baby baby
I'm a human being
And when it gets a bit obscene, wooah
I'm a human being

And I've just got to go around
With my head hung down
Just like a human, babe,
An unknown human being
And I can hold my head so high
Cause I'm a human, a riff raff human being

Why won't you give me a little sip
Why don't you try me on a drag of that cigarette
Why don't you try to give me something that
I will never ever forget

But now don't you blow it all
On a million dollar bet
Because you're liable to lose it
On the best lovin' you've had yet
I'm beggin yeah yeah oh yeah

And If I'm acting like a king
Well that's cause
I'm a human being
I want too many things
Don't you know that I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
I said well,
I'm a human being
And when it gets a bit obscene wooah
I'm a human being

And I've got to go around
With my head hung down
Just like a human, babe
An unknown human being
And I can hold my head so high
Cause I'm a human, a riff raff human being

In fact I'm talking about the human race
You're trying to cover up the big disgrace
I said yeah yeah yeah,
Oh C'mon C'mon C'mon

Yeah, yeah, oh yeah
Well I may think that this whole scene is
Just-a too appalling for me
Or I may be the type who's just a-mad about
Every little thing that I see
Well I can color that with mystery
Or make it just what I want it to be
While I'm blowing my change on the fan magazines
With all the Hollywood refugees, screaming
Yeah yeah, oh yeah

And If I'm acting like a king
I said well,
I'm a human being
And if I want too many things
Don't you know that I'm a human being
And if I've got to dream
Baby baby baby,
I'm a human being
And when it gets a bit obscene wooah-wooah-wooah
I'm a human being
I'm a human being
I'm a human being
I'm a human being

 

1 When performing this song on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI Morrissey sometimes changed this line to "on the best lover you can get" or "on the worst lover you can get".