| Human Behaviour | |
| Cover: | Human_Behaviour_(Single_Artwork).png |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Björk |
| Album: | Debut |
| B-Side: | Atlantic |
| Released: | [1] |
| Genre: | |
| Producer: | Nellee Hooper |
| Prev Title: | Ooops |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | Venus as a Boy |
| Next Year: | 1993 |
"Human Behaviour" is a song by Icelandic recording artist Björk, released on 7 June 1993 by One Little Indian and Elektra as the lead single from her debut studio album, Debut (1993).[4] Produced by Björk's longtime collaborator Nellee Hooper, it reflects upon human nature and emotion from a non-human animal's point of view. The song and video were inspired by British broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough.[5]
Critics praised "Human Behaviour" and called it a highlight of Debut. The song was an underground smash that peaked at number two on the US dance charts[6] and reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart. Its music video was directed by Michel Gondry and is the first time he and Björk collaborated. The video, like the song, is a story about the relation between humans and animals from the animal's point of view.
"Human Behaviour" was written by Nellee Hooper and Björk, and was produced by Hooper. The song was first written in 1988[7] when Björk was still the leading singer of the Sugarcubes, but she decided not to release it with the band. "Human Behaviour" is a house song with a four-on-the-floor style, characteristic of the music in Debut. It features a "bouncing riff" sampled from Antônio Carlos Jobim, with "its syncopated beat consigned to a venerable orchestral instrument, the timpani."[8]
The song was inspired by David Attenborough documentaries and by the relation between humans and animals. Björk explained to Rolling Stone, talking about the inspiration for the song: "'Human Behaviour' is an animal's point of view on humans. And the animals are definitely supposed to win in the end." On a recent question and answer session with fans on The Guardian website, Björk revealed more information about the writing of the song: "I wrote it I was referring to my childhood and probably talking about how I felt more comfortable on my own walking outside singing and stuff than hanging out with humans..."[9] The song was also inspired by the riff from Ray Brown Orchestra's "Go Down Dying".[10] [11]
This is the first song on the "Isobel song cycle", a transcendental cycle in Björk's discography which goes from "Human Behaviour" to "Wanderlust" (2007). The B-side contained in the cassette edition of the single is the reggae-influenced "Atlantic", which was produced and written by Björk. Its lyrics talks about Björk's family: "My son has eight grandmothers and eight grandfathers and it's about the love and the complications of that".