Howard Jones, Human's Lib 1

Sometimes I am acutely aware of how a book or a film is influencing me, and yet at other times I don't immediately recognize how deeply I have been affected by some aspect of my daily surroundings. It took the insight of someone who apparently knows me better than I know myself to observe a certain quirk in my behavior:

"When you're teaching Aquinas, or Homer, or Marcus Aurelius, you sort of adopt their tones, as if you are trying to think as they would think, speak as they would speak. But when you're just being yourself, without any formality, you sound more like the lyrics from a Howard Jones song." 

It had never occurred to me, but it was probably the music of Howard Jones that had seeped into my head the most during my early adolescence, and I suppose it inadvertently formed a sort of framework I then built upon. 

I shouldn't complain, since I could easily have chosen far more depressing or sinister heroes. Even at a time when thoughtful, happy, and uplifting music could still be thought of as cool, Jones was a bit square, and I simply became accustomed to people rolling their eyes if I played any of his songs. 

It was in late 1983 that I first began to take an interest in popular music, and I discovered tracks like "New Song" and "What is Love?" on the radio. Human's Lib was one of the first records I owned (on vinyl, of course), and I nearly wore it out, saved only by the acquisition of a compact disc version during college. It often got played every day, and at the very least once a week. 

The critics thought he was a lightweight, and I couldn't always relate easily to his Buddhism and vegetarianism, but the fact remains that Jones was, and still is, an incredibly kind and decent human being, and that critical quality is unmistakably present in all of his songs. Why be so dark and cynical when understanding and love can do a much better job of making a life more bearable? 

The opening track of Human's Lib, "Conditioning", expresses a sentiment most of us will say we agree with, but only as long as we continue getting pats on the head from our supposed betters, which sadly ends up defeating the whole point of learning to be ourselves. 

—4/2007 

A few words of commentary from Howard Jones: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-kdyvlcqbo&list=OLAK5uy_lFedI4jW6TKDjvu-C8M34duwjnJ3RlL3M&index=1

And the song itself: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGrQ-UFCAOQ&list=OLAK5uy_lFedI4jW6TKDjvu-C8M34duwjnJ3RlL3M&index=2 

Howard Jones, "Conditioning" from Human's Lib (1984) 

Well you're not, you're not who you think you are 

Well we think that you are John or Dave 
But you're not, you're not who you think you are 
Jumbled mass of preconceived ideas 

From our birth we were given an identity 
People told us we were great or small 
From our birth we were given rules of right or wrong 
Not forgetting the bullies at school 

The world teaches us to think that life is full of limitations
The world tries to make us think that there are loads of limits 
The world teaches us to think that life is full of limitations 
The world tries to make us think that there are loads of limits 

Welcome to Conditioning 
Welcome to Conditioning 

And as the world makes us feel great 
And as the world makes us feel small 
Oh so convinced of our identity 
If we only knew it we just can't believe it we just won't believe it 

Leading us to think that we are such a success 
Conning us to think that we are just a failure 
Leading us to think that we are so intelligent 
Conning us to think that we are just a do-do do-do 

Welcome to Conditioning 
Welcome to Conditioning 

Who is to say what is what 
Welcome to Conditioning 
Who is to say what is what 
Welcome to Conditioning 
Who is to say what is what 
Er, sorry, ha ha 
Who is to say what is what 
Welcome to Conditioning 
Who is to say what is what 
Welcome to Conditioning 
Who is to say what is what 
Welcome to Conditioning