Cover art for Re-Humanise Yourself by The Police

Re-Humanise Yourself

Oct. 2, 19811 viewer6.2K views

Re-Humanise Yourself Lyrics

[Verse 1]
He goes out at night with his big boots on
None of his friends know right from wrong
They kick a boy to death 'cause he don't belong
You've got to humanise yourself

[Verse 2]
A policeman put on his uniform
He'd like to have a gun just to keep him warm
Because violence here is a social norm
You've got to humanise yourself

[Chorus]
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself

[Verse 3]
I work all day at the factory
I'm building a machine that's not for me
There must be a reason that I can't see
You've got to humanise yourself

[Verse 4]
Billy's joined the National Front
He always was a little runt
He's got his hand in the air with the other cunts
You've got to humanise yourself
[Chorus]
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself

[Verse 3]
I work all day at the factory
I'm building a machine that's not for me
There must be a reason that I can't see
You've got to humanise yourself

[Verse 2]
A policeman put on his uniform
He'd like to have a gun just to keep him warm
Because violence here is a social norm
You've got to humanise yourself

[Chorus]
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself
Re-humanise yourself

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About

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Genius Annotation

On this track, composer-drummer Stewart Copeland’s strongly reggae-flavored rhythm and melody combine with Sting’s heartfelt lyrical plea to reject racism, xenophobia, and violence. (Copeland says his original lyrics for the song were much less socially responsible.) Moving past the self-imposed limitations of three-chord punk, The Police found that the structure of reggae allowed enough space in their arrangements for Sting to be heard as a singer and lyricist, and for the band to continue performing effectively as a power trio, even as their studio recordings grew increasingly complex. The horns and keyboards on this track were all overdubbed by Sting.

Credits
Recorded At
AIR Montserrat, Salem, Montserrat
Release Date
October 2, 1981
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