Human Nature (Madonna song)

"Human Nature"
Single by Madonna
from the album Bedtime Stories
B-side	"Sanctuary" "La Isla Bonita" (Japan)
Released	June 6, 1995
Format	CD, 12", Cassette
Recorded	1994
Genre	Pop, R&B, Dance-pop
Length	4:53 (album version) 4:32 (radio version)
Label	Maverick, Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Madonna, Dave Hall, Shawn McKenzie, Kevin McKenzie, Milo Deering
Producer	Madonna, Dave Hall
Madonna singles chronology
"Bedtime Story" (1995) "Human Nature" (1995) "You'll See" (1995)
Audio sample file info · help

"Human Nature" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories, released on June 6, 1995 by Maverick Records.

Song information

"Human Nature" was written in response to the public backlash involving Madonna's previous album, Erotica, and her coffee table book, Sex. The song's lyrics contain sarcastic backing vocals with Madonna asking rhetorical questions based on her real-life actions, such as "Did I say something wrong? Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex. I must have been crazy," as well as the line "What was I thinking?" This is backed up by the repeated phrase "Express yourself, don't repress yourself," along with Madonna's affirmation of having no regrets over showing off her "fantasies" and exclaiming that she is not "the one with the problem" and her detractors should "deal with it", because it is "human nature".

Madonna's record label wanted to release a more radio-friendly pop track for the fourth single off the album, "Don't Stop", but Madonna wanted to release "Human Nature" instead and ended up getting her wish.^{[citation needed]} The song itself is a powerful R&B anthem over a heavily hip-hop flavored beat. The song also samples "What You Need" as performed by hip-hop group Main Source.

While "Human Nature" became Madonna's second consecutive single not to enter the top 40 in the U.S. (peaking at number forty-six), it still was a smash on the dance and club charts.

It also entered the top ten on several charts around the world including the UK, Italy, and Japan. In the UK the single entered the chart and peaked at #8. The UK single cover was a shot of Madonna from the video, clad in PVC and leather and sitting on a chair. The cover shot for the U.S. version is from a photo shoot by Bettina Rheims for the December 1994 issue of Details magazine.

Madonna has performed "Human Nature" twice on tour, first by slow-riding a mechanical bull on her 2001 Drowned World Tour adding some vocoder voice effects, and in her Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008 with an electric guitar, also adding vocoder voice effects on the background harmonies, with a video backdrop of Britney Spears trapped in an elevator. It also adds the line "It's Britney, bitch" at the end of the song. Spears made a guest appearance co-performing the song with Madonna on November 6, 2008 during her concert date in Los Angeles.

Music video

Madonna in the bondage inspired video for "Human Nature".

The video, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino (who had previously directed Madonna's videos for "Open Your Heart" and "Justify My Love") features Madonna, her dancers (including the first collaboration with Jamie King, that later would become the choreographer and director for her Drowned World, Re-invention, Confessions and Sticky & Sweet concert tours), and her chihuahua, Chiquita, in black leather outfits. Madonna's look and outfit for this video is "latex and leather" to symbolize the "constrictions of our society." Her hair, which appears brown in the video was actually blonde at the time. She had leather strips painstakingly braided into her hair to blend with her dark roots. The frizzy afro she sports halfway through the video was actually a hairpiece. The costume was sent to be displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shortly after the video was filmed.

It was shot over two days, May 6 and 7, 1995 at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California. The video was heavily inspired by comic artist, Eric Stanton. This was stated by Madonna in a behind the scenes interview during the filming of the video in which she said, "Mondino found this book by this illustrator named Stanton who did kinda S&M drawings and stuff, but we didn't want to go with the straight S&M; we wanted to have it be more about making fun of it".

• Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
• Producer: Anita Wetterstedt
• Director of Photography: Harris Savides
• Editor: Robert Duffy
• Production Company: Palomar Pictures Inc.

Track listings and formats

Madonna performing "Human Nature" during the Sticky & Sweet Tour.

• UK/Germany CD single

1. "Human Nature" (radio edit) – 4:09 [radio edit of the Human Club Mix]
2. "Human Nature" (The Human Club Mix) – 9:05
3. "Human Nature" (Chorus Door Slam with Nine Sample) – 4:48
4. "Human Nature" (The Runway Club Mix) – 8:19
5. "Human Nature" (I'm Not Your Bitch) – 8:11

• UK cassette single

1. "Human Nature" (radio edit) – 4:09 [radio edit of the Human Club Mix]
2. "Human Nature" (Chorus Door Slam with Nine Sample) – 4:48

• UK/Germany 12" maxi single

1. "Human Nature" (Human Club Mix) – 9:05
2. "Human Nature" (The Runway Club Mix) – 8:19
3. "Human Nature" (Master With Nine Sample) – 4:48
4. "Human Nature" (I'm Not Your Bitch mix) – 8:11

• Germany CD single

1. "Human Nature" (album version) – 4:54
2. "Bedtime Story" (Junior's Sound Factory Mix) – 9:15
3. "Bedtime Story" (Orbital Mix) – 7:41

• Germany 12" single

1. "Human Nature" (album version) – 4:54
2. "Bedtime Story" (Junior's Sound Factory Mix) – 9:15
3. "Bedtime Story" (Junior's Wet Dream Mix) – 8:33

• Australia CD single

1. "Human Nature" (Radio Edit) – 4:54
2. "Human Nature" (Video version) – 4:54
3. "Human Nature" (Album version) – 4:54

• Japan 3" CD single

1. "La Isla Bonita" (Album Version) – 4:54
2. "Human Nature" (Radio version) – 4:30

• US CD single / US cassette single / US 7" single

1. "Human Nature" (radio version) – 4:30
2. "Sanctuary" (album version) – 5:03

• US/Canada/Australia CD maxi single

1. "Human Nature" (radio edit) [radio edit of the Human Club Mix]
2. "Human Nature" (Runway Club Mix Radio Edit)
3. "Human Nature" (Runway Club Mix)
4. "Human Nature" (I'm Not Your Bitch Mix)
5. "Human Nature" (Howie Tee Remix)
6. "Human Nature" (Howie Tee Clean Remix)
7. "Human Nature" (radio version)
8. "Human Nature" (Bottom Heavy Dub)
9. "Human Nature" (Love is the Nature Mix)

• US 12" maxi single

1. "Human Nature" (Runway Club Mix) - 8:18
2. "Human Nature" (I'm Not Your Bitch Mix) - 8:10
3. "Human Nature" (Runway Club Mix Radio Edit) - 3:58
4. "Human Nature" (Bottom Heavy Dub) - 8:08
5. "Human Nature" (Howie Tee Remix) - 4:47
6. "Human Nature" (Howie Tee Clean Remix) - 4:46
7. "Human Nature" (Radio Edit) - 4:07

Official versions and remixes

Remixes of "Human Nature" include mixes by Howie Tee and Danny Tenaglia.

• Album version – 4:53
• Radio version – 4:32
• Howie Tee Remix – 4:48
• Howie Tee Clean Remix – 4:48
• Human Club Mix – 9:06
• Human Club Mix Radio Edit – 4:09
• Runaway Club Mix – 8:19
• Runaway Club Mix Radio Edit – 3:59
• Love Is the Nature Mix – 6:41
• I'm Not Your Bitch Mix – 8:11
• Bottom Heavy Dub – 7:57

Release history

Country	Date
United States	June 6, 1995
Europe	August 20, 1995

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	17
Canadian Singles Chart	9
Finnish Singles Chart	11
German Singles Chart	50
Irish Singles Chart	21
Italian FIMI Singles Chart	10
Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles Chart	511
Japanese Oricon International Singles Chart	101
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	37
Swiss Singles Chart	17
UK Singles Chart	8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	46
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay	58
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales	35
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	2
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	57

¹ Released as "La Isla Bonita"/"Human Nature"

External links

• Mad-eyes.net - "Human Nature" single page