This post has become a heated debate. To sum it all up, its DANCER. To know why, carry on reading and definitely check out the comments!
I’m a bit of a Killers fan. I loved hot Fuss, liked Sam’s Town and am hoping I’ll like new album. I seem to be on the losing side but I like their new song, Human. Once it hits the charts I think people will suddenly change their minds and like it too.
At first I thought the lyrics were “are we human or are we dancers?”. Thinking this couldn’t be right I looked up the lyrics and found its not dancers, its denser. It appears I’m not the only one mishearing the lyrics. Popwatch have an entire article about it, crazy.
I’m 90% sure it is denser now, even if it does sound like dancers. It would be funny if the official lyric was dancer.
P.S. This post is just a segway segue (thanks Ann) so that I can gloat I got Killers tickets. 
Edit: Since posting this it seems various other sources are confirming ‘dancer(s)’ as the actual word. I guess I was right, and then wrong, and now just confused.
240 Comments
When i heard this song it makes me feel good because Im a dancer (and definitely a dancer ego makes us feel more than humans) is not easy to keep a discipline, the work and effort need to step into a stage and try to transmit what our body wants. only the dancer have an idea how we break our asses to reach perfection. but in the lyrics clearly meens to someone than only can follow a routine or just do whatever the coreographer wants. Even for me is difficult now to swallow it but Flowers wanted to say people can think? decide? act for themselves? or just do what they were taught or the goverment, economics or system want?
Denser dont make sense with the song but dancer yes if you realize they just follow. (We don’t only follow but can be interpreted in the song like this) and YES dancers are much more than humans!!!!
Ok, I am beginning to question the intelligence of people here. Lets get this straight once and for all, shall we?
1. It is NOT “denser”
2. It IS “Dancer”
3. It is NOT “dancers”. NO S.
“It’s taken from a quote by [author Hunter S.] Thompson. … ‘We’re raising a generation of dancers,’ and I took it and ran. I guess it bothers people that it’s not grammatically correct, but I think I’m allowed to do whatever I want,” he laughed. ” ‘Denser’? I hadn’t heard that one. I don’t like ‘denser.’ ” – http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598299/20081030/killers_the.jhtml
Oh, and Erwing he is not talking about dancers as in people who dance, so don’t let your head get any bigger than it already is (or else it might not fit through doors). He is not saying people who dance are greater than the rest of us. He is instead referring to a Dancer as in a certain type of person and means it as a “…mild social statement…”. He is not saying anything about dancers, DANCER NOT DANCERS. There is a diffeerence after all.
is the song not called dancer????
no its not just checked haha! the word is dancer anyway they took it from a hunter s thompson quote!!! “are we human or are we dancer” dont ask what it means thats just hunter s i guess
Chris Moyles was wrong apparently. This was quoted by Brandon Flowers: -
The Killers‘ Brandon Flowers continues to be frustrated by fans being frustrated with the lyrics to the chorus of his new single “Human.” “Are we human, or are we dancer,” Flowers sings, imploring that the ambiguous word is the grammatically-incorrect “dancer” and not “denser.” “That sucks a bit. I don’t like, ‘Are we denser?’ as an alternative,” Flowers said. “I really care what people think but people don’t seem to understand ‘Human.’ They think it’s nonsense. But I was aching over those lyrics for a very long time to get them right.” Part of that time aching was evidently spent reading books by Hunter S. Thompson, as Flowers himself has admitted the “dancer” line was inspired by the former Rolling Stone contributor. “It’s taken from a quote by [author Hunter S.] Thompson,” Flowers admitted last month when the confusion began. “‘We’re raising a generation of dancers,’ and I took it and ran. I guess it bothers people that it’s not grammatically correct, but I think I’m allowed to do whatever I want.” The Killers’ Day & Age is set to befuddle listeners with its lyrics on November 24th.
Bound to be denser. Dancer doesn’t make sense.
Well i agree, if it is dancer then the song is totally ruined. Denser has more meaning, its a catchy song, I think it’s just the accent at which they sing the song
99.9999% Sure that its denser
The Killers’ website says it’s dancer
plus to simplify and reiterate that it is dancer, it rhymes with “looking for the answer”
those who think it is denser are just that.
Dancer. It’s dancer.Ü
I LOOOVE THE KILLERS
Dancer? Denser? who cares? peace , that’s what really matters!Lovely song by the way, enjoy everyone!
The word “dancer” is used properly. It is a term from the novel “Slowness” by French-Czech author Milan Kundera. “Dancer” is a state of being in which we “perform” in daily life for an invisible audience simply to meet social expectations rather than being true to ourselves and thus, true to human nature. The lyrics, stating “Are we human or are we dancer?” is correct in this context, and might I add, quite profound. The whole song makes sense in this light.
its human all the lyrics say it
Who care’s whether it is ‘dancer’ or ‘denser’ – it’s just a GREAT song and I feel like ‘dancing’ around the room whenever I hear it. Loved it the first time I heard it and still do !
Im glad there are some sane people on here. GQ Monkee is awesome. Stop saying that it is denser or dancers u idiots. People have posted proof that it is dancer.
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
Thats beautiful
It would have been ruined if it were denser or dancers
Are we human?
Or are we oblivious robots dancing to anybody’s tune?
The answer: we are human.
good song but that DANCER just grates. I don’t like it even if it has been explained as an an adjective – but surely then it should be DANCING….
Harriet Says:
November 28th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Bound to be denser. Dancer doesn’t make sense.
Well i agree, if it is dancer then the song is totally ruined. Denser has more meaning, its a catchy song, I think it’s just the accent at which they sing the song
99.9999% Sure that its denser
—
I had no idea they made people this stupid.
Seriously.
Well if the lyrics can generate this much debate–even after several people have quoted the songwriter–then I don’t mind stepping in to say that the word Cohen is looking for in the original posting is “segue,” not “segway.” Unless he really wants to refer to that two-wheeled vehicle.
Tt has to be denser. It makes much more sense than dancer:
dense: slow to understand (by Merriam-Webster)
Think about it.
Thanks Ann, I thought it was odd I could only find references to the vehicle when I tried to find the correct spelling. Thats made my morning.
Its Dancer,
Human refers to free thinker, Dancer refers toa puppet on a string, later the lyrics refer to cuting the string.
Lets all be free thinkers, the original phase was also said by one the philoshyers, sorry cant spell just google it and all the correct answers are there.
Cheers
why would anyone wonder if they were either a human or a dancer. this is extremely idiotic, and if the real lyric is dancer, then I will no longer call myself a killers fan.
it’s DANCER.. like puppets
more info here –> http://www.thekillersmusic.com/index
wow if you are shallow enough to stop being a killers fan because of one word, you don’t even deserve to listen to them
Okay, so the word that he uses is ‘dancer’. But those who are saying ‘denser’ doesn’t make any sense are missing another interpretation of the lyrics which is that the speaker is heeding a spiritual/higher power call:
“I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender”
Doing his best to listen to the small, still voice within.
“I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door”
The Universe/God opens a door, you just need to step through. What holds us back is our fear. Which relates back to the quote attributed to Nelson Mandela (‘we are not afraid of our darkness, but our light’), but is actually from a different source.
“Close your eyes, clear your heart
Cut the cord”
Or, get rid of your attachment to the way things are supposed to be and let God/Higher Power/Tao lead your way.
‘Denser’ then would mean that there is more to life than being merely human. To quote a different pop source – “Luminous beings are we. Not made of this crude matter [grabbing a fleshy arm and shaking it]”
Signs are vital but hands are cold can refer to being technically alive, but cold as death. The rest of the verses have similar interpretations of getting past the trappings of the soul and getting to the real deal – romance vs true love, for instance.
I feel it makes the song deeper with ‘denser’, but if it’s ‘dancer’, c’est la vie.
BTW – on a trivial note, Edward Estlin Cummings is not a ‘lowercase poet’ – he used plenty of capitals in his work. He signed things with capitals (EEC) and when asked by a publisher if it was “EE Cummings or E.E. Cummings or what”, he said the first two were fine, depending on the publisher’s formating preference, but “may it not be tricksy”.
Cat Stevens got near this years ago with “Hard Headed Woman” where he says…
I know a lot of fancy dancers,
people who can glide you on a floor,
They move so smooth but have no answers.
When you ask “Why’d you come here for?”
“I don’t know” “Why?”
So I just went through and read every single response…and laughed every time someone replied about something that’s already been answered. Like, if you want an answer about this debate…why wouldn’t you read everyone else’s posts first before you throw your opinion into nowhere.
So my reply…sorry, has nothing to do with the song.
Actually, yes it does, I adore the song. I had been debating back and forth what the lyric was and then figured it doesn’t matter. HOWEVER, I’m glad I researched it so that now when I sing along, I do it properly
Yay Killers!
Even if the actual lyric is “dancer”, what the hell does it mean? “Denser” makes much more sense, but in the song, he seems to alternate between the two. The first one sounds like “dancer” but the following sounds like “denser”. He might switch between the two just to confuse us for his amusement.
Somebody said something like this: Even if it is “dancer” and the meaning is something like, a puppet or someone who just goes with the stream/flow that everyone follows, the “s” still is missing from the word.
I think it has to do with poetry or that the lyrics has to rhyme in the chorus… Like:
…I am on my knees looking for the ANSWER
are we human or are we DANCER.
And there´s actually nothing wierd or wrong about it i think, it´s art and poetry and infact art has no borders or boundaries at all!
There have been a million posts about this and I’ve danced around them all and thought they are all dense.
a) Who cares anyway, it’s a great song.
b) There have been loads of ungrammatical songs in the past anyway
c) Stop analysing it and whether the accent makes it sound denser or dancer
Lets just end this.
http://www.islandrecords.com/site/artist_bio.php?artist_id=547
third paragraph.
Alot of people are saying it’s denser and not dancer. To be honest it could be either, they both have reference to the song.
For instance with human the singer could be reffering to mass and matter, and denser is relevant to this.
Or with human the singer could be reffering to free thinker and a dancer could be a dancing puppet, which is quite relevant to the lyrics, such as cut the cord and you gotta let me go. I enjoy the song and i’m glad it is out. If you disagree with my comment please do not say anything nasty as that is not needed. Thankyou.
i agree with stacey….
both dancer or denser,…its depend in our interpretation….hahaha…its free…
but 1st in my mind is a dancer…like dancing puppet…;)
ciao
Seriously, it really could go either way…
But to the people who think that it “doesn’t make sense as ‘dancer’” or “‘dancer’ isn’t even a word, a-dur,” REALLY have been spoiled by the modern wording of words. English is a sensitive yet vast language; don’t criticize someone else’s use of it unless you know ALL of it because I can guarantee you that you don’t.
Sometimes lyrics and poetry alike are not meant to be understood just by reading or listening to them on the surface. It can take much, much more than that, so just because denser might seem to fit as opposed to dancer doesn’t mean it actually does.
It is only logical that the word in this song is denser. If it was Dancer it would have to be dancers with a s because its plural. The use of denser is easy. It it asking if we are just animals called humans or if we are denser than that. If we have souls and what not. Denser in the meaning that we are better that just dumb animals. That is why he is “on my knees looking for answer” the answer of the point of life.
I cannot believe that this debate is still ongoing.
Why are people still arguing over the lyrics when the lyrics are on the official Killers website? AND a number of interviews with the SONG WRITER state quite clearly that the word is indeed “dancer”?
It doesn’t matter whether you think it makes sense or not, the fact is the debate has been settled. The sense or nonsense of the lyrics is a different argument entirely. However, in the context of the song; the lyrics make perfect sense. It’s called poetic licence!
Guaranteed someone will post after me and say “It HAS to be denser to make sense” to that person I say, “Get over it!” You didn’t write the song, the Killers did and if they say the lyric is dancer then the lyric is dancer and there’s no point in you arguing otherwise.
Next!
Hiya,
guys, I got proof that it’s “humid” not “human” …
Regards,
M
dancer don’t make any sense!i think its denser!!!
and it is human as the song is called human!! and its clearly human if you have working ears!
Thanks Michael, very funny – nice sense of humour.
Ok. Denser is NOT a word. Dense is, so even for all of you out there who think it’s denser it would only make sense if he said “are we human, or are we more dense” haha. dancer can be grammatically correct but not in the context in which it is used so it is grammatically incorrect but that is to retain the poetic traits of the song. dancer, as mentioned plenty of times above, is in reference to a quote from a famous author. he says “we are raising a generation of dancers”. obviously he does not mean in the literal sense. he is simply raising the question as to whether or not we are raising a generation of people who are similar to marionettes controlled by society. It IS dancer. for those of you who this still does not make sense to, it does not matter. the lead singer said it is dancer. sorry to disappoint.
LOL @ Michael.
Thank you, Brett.
Yes folks, it’s DEFINITELY Dancer, not Denser, Dencer (which is not even a word) or – unfortunately – Dancers… the last of which would make a LOT more sense grammatically.
The Killers aren’t the first band/artist to deliver bad grammar in a song, and they won’t be the last. But had they used ‘Dancers’ it would have made a LOT more sense and hey, I can’t imagine singing the ‘s’ would have been TOO difficult, or would have sold less units.
Having said that, the song seems MASSIVELY overrated in its current state. I’d really like to hear them do it acoustically or semi-acoustically (which maybe they’ve already done, I don’t know)…cos drowning in all that soulless Pet Shop Boys/cheesey semi-techno arrangement on the single, there’s a really good song trying to come out.
Yeah, Brett’s right, even denser isn’t a word…. touche.
There has been considerable confusion and debate over the line “Are we human or are we dancer?” in the song’s chorus.[6] Many have incorrectly heard “denser” instead of “dancer”, a change which significantly alters the interpretation of the song’s meaning. On the band’s official website, the biography section states that Flowers is singing “Are we human, or are we dancer?” and also says that the lyrics were inspired by a disparaging comment made by Hunter S. Thompson about how America was raising a generation of dancers.[7]
Its dancer.
Last word.
I win.
Get over it. Your all very sad!
By the way my favourite dance is the jive
i hea dancer but why wud it be dancer it makes no sense so i cud make myself hear denser if i had 2 (ja get me?)…and it wud make much mre sense!!!and i love noggin!!=D xoxox
Maybe “Dancer” is a proper noun: such as a person’s name. That would resolve the grammatical error.
I still don’t see how it would make more sense if he said denser. Dancer, denser…neither one make any sense really. After reading Brandon’s reasoning behind the line, though, it’s fine by me.
some people are so dense
denser is a word as in dense ie thick, are we human or something more stupid
It’s Denser Guyyzz
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