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Don’t Forget the Songs-365: Mach Dos: Day 121
Wed. May 9, 2012

“Human Being”
Morrissey
2006

“♫ and if I’m acting like
a king/ well, that’s ’cause I’m
a human being/ I want
too many things/ and that’s
cause I’m a human
being/ and if I’ve got to
dream/ I said well, I’m a
human being/ and
if it gets to be
obscene, yeah/ I’m a
human being […] ♫”

Morrissey once said—“Some bands grab you and they never let you go and no matter what they do, they can never let you down… the Dolls were that for me.”

[Morrissey loves the NY Dolls so much he convinced Johansen and crew to reunite when Moz curated The Meltdown Festival in 2004.]

Although, I agree the NY Dolls are a one of a kind—and one of the most influential glam punk rockers of all time. Unfortunately, don’t let Moz know but the NY’s Dolls never did anything for me.

So how did I discover “Human Being?” I just received my 2012 Viva Hate remastered and am confused to why Morrissey would have put a demo like “Treat Me Like A Human Being” as an album track on a reissue? I heard that you could find this demo on the inter-webs under the title “Treat Me Like A New York Doll.”

This is when I went searching and found his rendition of “Human Being.” Let me tell you—where have— you been all my life “Human Being?” How come I am just discovering today that Morrissey’s recorded his best cover ever in 2006?

How awesome is Morrissey’s cover of “Human Being?” It’s just my new anthem. And I have to praise the NY Dolls David Johansen and Johnny Thunders for writing one of the most underrated glam rock anthems of all time. And here’s a clip, a live version by The NY DOLLS.

Forget “Treat Me,” and treat yourself to Morrissey’s raucous cover of “Human Being” with a distorted sax solo by guitarist Boz Boorer. Boorer wails his sax solo a-la Sonny Rollins on The Rolling Stones LP— Tattoo You. Boorer sax is so legendary that even Bowie would be impressed.

Morrissey’s 2006 NY Dolls cover has made me forget about “Treat Me.” But wait, I do have to admit, “Treat Me like a Human Being is starting to grow on me and only because I placed it between Moz’s NY Dolls cover and Kill Uncle’s Asian Rut on my Morrissey playlist. Great fit, btw!

And now, it’s time to discover one of Morrissey’s best cover songs that you will soon love too. “Human Being” found as a B-side on Morrissey’s You Have Killed Me single – is waiting to take you over!