"
Human Behaviour" is
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
ic singer
BjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir is a critically acclaimed Icelandic avant-garde singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer, whose work includes seven solo albums and two film soundtracks....
's first solo
singleIn music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats.-History:...
, taken from the album
DebutDebut is the second studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk. The album was released in July 1993 on One Little Indian Records in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. Björk worked with producer Nellee Hooper on the album and co-wrote five of Debuts songs with him...
. It contains a sample of "Go Down Dying" by
Antonio Carlos JobimAntonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim , also known as Tom Jobim, was a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist...
. The lyrics reflect on
human natureHuman nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that all 'normal' humans have in common. The branches of science associated with the study of human nature include sociology, sociobiology and psychology, particularly...
and
emotionAn emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Emotions are subjective experiences, often associated with mood, temperament, personality, and disposition. The English word 'emotion' is derived from the French word émouvoir...
from an animal's point of view. The song is the first part of a trilogy that includes "
Isobel"Isobel" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released as the second single from her 1995 album Post. The lyrics describe a primitive girl who seems to be a personification of Mother Nature, and who tries to warn the technological world of its potential dangers. The music is underscored by...
" and "
Bachelorette"Bachelorette" is a song by Björk, released as the second single from her 1997 album Homogenic.-Background:The song is emotionally charged and theatrical, following the album's theme of "beats and strings"...
".
"Human Behaviour" was an underground smash, and reached #36 in the UK Singles Chart.
The
music videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
, directed by
Michel GondryMichel Gondry, born May 8, 1963, is a French film, commercial and music video director and an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène.- Biography :...
, is a loose take on the children's tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", with visuals inspired by Yuri Norstein's animated film
Hedgehog in the FogHedgehog in the Fog is a Soviet animated film directed by Yuriy Norshteyn, produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. This cartoon is considered one of the best animated films of all time. The Russian script was written by Sergei Grigoryevich Kozlov, who also published a book under the same...
.
"
Human Behaviour" is
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
ic singer
BjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir is a critically acclaimed Icelandic avant-garde singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer, whose work includes seven solo albums and two film soundtracks....
's first solo
singleIn music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats.-History:...
, taken from the album
DebutDebut is the second studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk. The album was released in July 1993 on One Little Indian Records in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. Björk worked with producer Nellee Hooper on the album and co-wrote five of Debuts songs with him...
. It contains a sample of "Go Down Dying" by
Antonio Carlos JobimAntonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim , also known as Tom Jobim, was a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist...
. The lyrics reflect on
human natureHuman nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that all 'normal' humans have in common. The branches of science associated with the study of human nature include sociology, sociobiology and psychology, particularly...
and
emotionAn emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Emotions are subjective experiences, often associated with mood, temperament, personality, and disposition. The English word 'emotion' is derived from the French word émouvoir...
from an animal's point of view. The song is the first part of a trilogy that includes "
Isobel"Isobel" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released as the second single from her 1995 album Post. The lyrics describe a primitive girl who seems to be a personification of Mother Nature, and who tries to warn the technological world of its potential dangers. The music is underscored by...
" and "
Bachelorette"Bachelorette" is a song by Björk, released as the second single from her 1997 album Homogenic.-Background:The song is emotionally charged and theatrical, following the album's theme of "beats and strings"...
".
"Human Behaviour" was an underground smash, and reached #36 in the UK Singles Chart.
Music video
The
music videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
, directed by
Michel GondryMichel Gondry, born May 8, 1963, is a French film, commercial and music video director and an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène.- Biography :...
, is a loose take on the children's tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", with visuals inspired by Yuri Norstein's animated film
Hedgehog in the FogHedgehog in the Fog is a Soviet animated film directed by Yuriy Norshteyn, produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. This cartoon is considered one of the best animated films of all time. The Russian script was written by Sergei Grigoryevich Kozlov, who also published a book under the same...
. Unlike in the story, however,
BjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir is a critically acclaimed Icelandic avant-garde singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer, whose work includes seven solo albums and two film soundtracks....
is hunted by a bear in a forest. She also flies to the
moonThe Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is , about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The common centre of mass of the system is located at about —a quarter the Earth's...
where she plants a Soviet flag. She ends up being eaten by the bear and trapped in its stomach. The video received six nominations for the
MTV Video Music Awards of 1994The 1994 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 8, 1994, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1993 to June 15, 1994. The show was hosted by Roseanne Barr at Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
including
Best Female VideoThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
,
Best New Artist in a VideoThe MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist is one of the four original general category that has been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984...
,
Breakthrough VideoThe MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video was first awarded in 1988, replacing the award for Most Experimental Video. Along with Best Direction in a Video, this award was considered to be one of the most important professional categories at the VMAs, as every once in a while it was even...
,
Best Special EffectsThe following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Special Effects in a Video....
,
Best Art DirectionThe following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Art Direction in a Video....
and
Best DirectionThe following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Direction in a Video. In 2007, the award was briefly renamed Best Director, but it returned to its original name for the 2008 awards....
(for Gondry's work), winning none. Also this video was nominated for a
Grammy AwardThe 36th Grammy Awards were held in 1994. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Whitney Houston & David Foster for "I Will Always Love You"*Album of the Year...
for
Best Music Video - Short FormThe Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video has been awarded since 1984. A similar award for Best Long Form Music Video has also been awarded since 1984. In 1988 and 1989 the award criteria were changed and the video awards were presented for Best Concept Music Video and Best Performance...
losing to
Peter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English musician and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering...
's "
Steam"Steam" is the second single from Peter Gabriel's 1992 album, Us. It reached #10 on the UK singles chart, #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart....
".
Parody
The song was parodied on the PBS show
Bill Nye the Science GuyBill Nye the Science Guy was an educational television program, hosted by Bill Nye. The show aired on PBS and was also syndicated to local stations. It still airs on some PBS stations as an educational program for in-school use. Each of the 100 episodes aims to teach a specific topic in science to...
as "Cross Pollination," with lyrics concerning plants. Although the original vocal melody was not used, the music is unmistakably an attempt to spoof the backing of "Human Behaviour".
Track listing
UK CD
(112 TP 7 CD; June, 1993)
- "Human Behaviour" (Original) - 4:12
- "Human Behaviour" ("Close To Human Mix") - 6:22
- "Human Behaviour" (Underworld Mix) - 12:03
- "Human Behaviour" (Don T. Mix) - 6:58
- "Human Behaviour" (Bassheads Edit) - 6:33
UK CD
(SUNW010; Released: 2002)
- "Human Behaviour" - 4:15
- "Human Behaviour" (Underworld Mix) - 12:10
- "Human Behaviour" (Video)
- "Human Behaviour" (MTV Unplugged) (Video)
- "Human Behaviour" (The Royal Opera House) (Video)
UK 12" Vinyl
(112TP 12; Released: 1993)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (Underworld Mix) - 12:00
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" ("Close To Human Mix") - 6:22
- "Human Behaviour" (Dom T. Mix) - 6:58
UK 12" Vinyl Promo
(112TP 12DJ; Released: 1993)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Remix) - 12:05
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Dub) - 10:42
UK 12" Vinyl Promo
(112TP 12P; Released: 1993)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (Speedy J Close To Human Mix)
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" (Dom. T Mix)
- "Human Behaviour" (Bassheads Edit)
UK 10" Vinyl Promo
(BJ DJ 104; Released: 1993; Limited Edition)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Dub 1)
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Dub 2)
EUR CD
(859575-2; Released: 1993)
- "Human Behaviour" (Original) - 4:12
- "Human Behaviour" ("Close To Human Mix") - 6:22
- "Human Behaviour" (Dom T. Mix) - 6:58
- "Human Behaviour" (Bassheads Edit) - 6:33
FRA CD Promo
(1901; Released: 1993)
- "Human Behaviour" - 4:12
- "Human Behaviour" (Le French Touch) - 7:49
FRA 12" Vinyl Promo
(2465; Released: 1994)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Mix) - 12:31
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" (Le French Touch) - 7:47
FRA 12" Vinyl Promo
(2348; Released: 1994)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (Underground Behaviour) - 5:58
- "Human Behaviour" (Le French Touch) - 5:47
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" (Deep Behaviour) - 8:02
- "Human Behaviour" (Underground Behaviour Dub) - 7:16
US CD Promo
(PRCD 8784-2; Released: 1993)
- "Human Behaviour" (Original Version) - 4:14
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Remix) - 12:05
US 12" Vinyl
(0-66299; Released: 1993)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (Original Version) - 4:14
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Remix) - 12:05
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" (Speedy J Close To Human Mix) - 6:22
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underwater Dub) - 10:42
US 12" Vinyl Promo
(ED 5652; Released: 1993)
Side A
- "Human Behaviour" (Speedy J Close To Human Mix) - 6:22
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Mix) - 12:05
Side B
- "Human Behaviour" (Dom T. Mix) - 6:58
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Dub) - 10:42
JPN CD
(POCP-1361; Released: 26 September, 1993)
- "Human Behaviour" (Original) - 4:14
- "Human Behaviour" ("Close To Human Mix") - 6:24
- "Human Behaviour" (Underworld Mix) - 12:06
- "Human Behaviour" (Dom T. Mix) - 7:01
- "Human Behaviour" (Bassheads Edit) - 6:38
- "Human Behaviour" (The Underworld Dub) - 10:45
Versions
- Acoustic version
- Album version
- Bassheads edit
- Close to Human mix (by Speedy J)
- Deep Behaviour (by Dimitri from Paris
Dimitri from Paris is a French music producer and DJ of Greek origins. His musical influences are rooted in 1970s funk and disco sounds that spawned contemporary house music, as well as original soundtracks from 50s and 60s cult movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Party...
)
- Dom T. mix
- Le French Touch (by Dimitri From Paris)
- Mark Bell Remix
- Underground Behaviour (by Dimitri From Paris)
- Underground Behaviour dub (by Dimitri from Paris)
- Underworld dub 1
- Underworld dub 2
- Underworld mix
- MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged was a TV series showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustic instruments. The show received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
version
Charts
{| width="0%"
|- valign="top"
| width="25%" |
{|class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Chart
!align="center"|Peak
position
|-
|align="left"|U.S.
Billboard Hot
Modern Rock TracksAlternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
|align="center"|2
|-
|align="left"|U.S.
Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play
|align="center"|2
|-
|align="left"|U.S.
Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
|align="center"|19
|-
|align="left"|U.S.
Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 SinglesThe Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It comprises 25 positions that represent songs that are close to charting on the main singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100, acting as an extension to Hot 100. Many times, however, singles halt their...
|align="center"|9
|-
|align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart
|align="center"|29
|-
|align="left"|Dutch Singles Chart
|align="center"|35
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|36
|-
|}
Trivia
In "The Bracebridge Dinner", an episode of the
Gilmore GirlsGilmore Girls is an American comedy drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. The series made its debut on The WB on October 5, 2000, and ended on May 15, 2007, in its seventh season, which aired on The CW. Time magazine named Gilmore Girls to their...
, the song was played in the end.
External links