Beyond Saving
Humanz owns. I like it very much! It’s the most ambitious Gorillaz album from a narrative standpoint, but I think people have overlooked that aspect of it. And that’s okay. It’s subtle. It’s a concept album. Damon was clear about this upon its release, but I don’t think many people have grasped just how integral the concept is to the album. Every song deals with it, and it’s a dark record full of regret, selfishness, and hatred. In lieu of explaining it to people every time I see some shade thrown about it on Discord, I’ve decided to put together this little write-up in hopes of clearing things up for the people who are interested. I hope you enjoy this little guide!
As Damon said, the album’s concept is “the world is ending, we’re going to throw a big party and just ignore our problems until we get wiped out.” Ascension starts off on that note, with the very literal “the sky is falling, drop your ass before it crashes” AKA “we need to live it up and go crazy before the world ends.” The amount of collaborators on the album is explained by its concept – how do different people act at this party? We get a little bit of everything. Strobelite continues the party mood but Peven Everett isn’t quite so lackadaisical on it, questioning whether people can come together to achieve peace anymore in the modern climate, or if we’re all too distracted by our modern issues. Saturnz Barz has Popcaan being the most reflective of any artist so far, reflecting on the life he’s lived and regretting the things he hasn’t done. Momentz is De La Soul going “oh my god the world is going to end we’re all gonna die I WANNA GET FUCKING LAID SO HARD,” which I think is a reasonable response, and Submission explores infidelity and a lack of commitment between two people. This is something that Humanz points to as one of main factors contributing to the end of the world – the decline of morality in our society today, and the growing divide between any and all people. Charger is a weird one but I think it’s an appeal to God. Many of Damon’s vocals and lyrics on this song are unintelligible, but what is there sounds a bit fearful, and I think Grace Jones portrays a higher power, with her “no antennas” being a message that no one who could save them is listening. Humanity is already doomed to its fate.
Andromeda is one of the few Gorillaz songs where Damon has revealed the meaning – it’s partly about the people in his life who have passed away, and the difficulty Damon has confronting those deaths and moving forward without them. I think this is the part in the narrative where…. you know when you’re at a party, a party with a ton of people, and it all becomes a bit much for you and you get a little drunk and a little sad and reflective? I think this is that moment on Humanz, and it’s like a trilogy of songs, all centered around Damon’s vocals. Charger is the wild crazy expression of madness that happens when you wile out and get drunk, Andromeda is the sadness starting to hit and the quiet coming on, and Busted and Blue is that moment you step out onto the balcony and just look at the sky and think about all the things you’ve done wrong. B&B is an appeal to one person from another person, a desperate plea to be together despite previous failings (this is something Damon would explore thoroughly on The Now Now)
Carnival is that moment where you come back inside from your time away, but now something’s changed. The vibe of the party is different. There are less people here, and some of them you don’t recognize. Something’s broken, and people are being aggressive. The latter half of Humanz, post Busted and Blue, is very dark and I believe it represents people starting to come to terms with what’s happening. The album started as a fun get together to forget the end of the world, but nobody forgot, and reality is hitting. These people are realizing they’re going to die. Let Me Out is a conversation between a young child (played by Pusha T) and his Mama Mavis about why life has been so hard.
♪ from “Let Me Out”
he begs of her. Life has been hard and if he has to die he wants to be given peace, he wants the world to “let me out.”
Sex Murder Party is a dark, grooving appeal to sin. Think about Damon’s verse – “I drove the keys into tears with your priorities.” Doesn’t seem to make much sense, and it can be interpreted anyway you want. I personally believe he’s talking about key character traits people have, stuff like affection, kindness, empathy, generosity. Damon is personifying these traits, and saying that the priorities of other people are making them weep. The song is very negative, Jamie P talks about being unable to escape a neverending cycle of murder that he’s caught up in. Whether that’s literal is up to you to decide. Zebra Katz’ verse is more about jealousy of another person’s actions – someone in his life is losing themselves to all sorts of negative habits – meaningless sex and drug use, and Zebra is jealous of them because he’s been living a responsible life only for them to both die in the same apocalypse. It’s all been meaningless, and he’s filled with regret. She’s My Collar continues the ongoing theme about the twisting relationship of men and women in the modern era. It is a song about adultery. Damon portrays the role of someone who knows he shouldn’t be with this woman, but he chooses to do so anyway simply for the pleasure. He treats her like a dirty secret, only texting her and never calling her. Kali’s verse makes it sound like she ended up wanting more from their relationship and outed it – causing significant pain for the both of them.
♪ from “She’s My Collar”
But even though their relationship has caused nothing but pain, they still come back to each other.
Hallelujah Money is a message from those responsible for the end – a twisted picture of greed and xenophobia. The song is not about Donald Trump, it’s just that he’s the biggest face of greed and xenophobia in 2018 so he’s very righteously associated with the song’s concept. Damon hears this message spouted to him by the leaders – a message saying that hatred and greed are beautiful things that should be cherished by humanity – and wonders if, after the apocalypse hits and the morning comes, the survivors will even be human beings anymore. We Got The Power is a call to arms – after hearing that disturbing message, there’s a last minute effort to rouse a resistance. But despite the anthemic, white knuckle energy of the track, Damon is well aware that it won’t work.
♪ from “We Got The Power”
He’s saying that many people will decide not to take action, that nothing will be done, and those who stood by on the “silent altar” and did nothing will regret their actions once the end comes.
If there was any doubt that WGTP was more cynical than it lets on, the coda provided by the deluxe tracks lets us know. We’re entering a ‘New World.’ The interlude IS the apocalypse happening. The end really did come, and it was brutal. I think every one of these deluxe songs represents a different way of dealing with the end of the world. The Apprentice is pretty much a mock election, people trying to get a leadership role in a world with no rules. Each of the features make an appeal to the listener of why they should be in charge and why the hate against them is misjudged, while Damon sums up politics in a nutshell with four simple words: “I am a mirror.” An elected leader is, after all, a reflection of their constituents. Halfway To The Halfway House dabbles in religious fervor, it’s almost like a rapture or something. Survivors begging their God for mercy, trying to “Swim in the light” because they’ve “gotta get out” of the Hellscape they’ve found themselves in. They’re looking for their “Cherryade fountain” – a mythical place away from the troubles they experience.
Out Of Body is a suicide cult. Kilo Kish leads a group of people whose form of escape from the new world is to get together and end it all. I think the lyrics are pretty clear on this one, and Kilo even tells the listener that if they haven’t caught the dark message behind the song, that they can work it out themselves. They’re going out of body, from morning to night. Forever. Ticker Tape is, by Damon’s own admission, a marching band, marching through the ruined streets of a city performing to nobody. An attempt to lighten the mood and provide joy to those left behind, but nobody is there for it. They’re all either dead or in hiding. It is a futile gesture. Finally, Circle of Friendz is a pitiable call to the few strong-willed people left to start slowly rebuilding. It’s going to take a lot of time and effort, but together, they can make a better world than the one that was left behind.
I hope this little guide helps give meaning to songs that you felt may have lacked them, and deepens your appreciation for what is perhaps the most ambitious and dark record of Damon Albarn’s career.
Thank you for reading and please leave a tip in my hat: I’m very hungry.