Don't you want me the human league

There are delights. And then, there are secret delights. The Human League‘s ‘Don’t You Want Me,’ a synth-pop masterpiece, is an example of the latter-a mainstream pop song that has taken on cult, classical greatness.

From the band’s 1981 album, Dare, DYWM is a proto-new wave anthem. Its greatness lies in its perfect blend of catchy melodies, hyper-slick (to the point of irony) production, and pulling that one non-negotiable string of the human condition: rejection, seen from both PoVs of the rejector and rejected.

The juxtaposition of Phil Oakey’s deep, robotic baritone with Susan Ann Sulley’s bright, almost naive vocals creates an aria of a fractured romance. The ‘he-said, she-said’ works like a dark qawwali about a relationship on the brink.

Producer Martin Rushent‘s genius is palpable in the song’s polished, yet edgy sound. The use of synthesisers was groundbreaking at the time, giving the track a futuristic feel that still sounds fresh today.

The words, ‘But don’t forget/ It’s you who put me where I am now/ And you can put me back down too,’ radiates vulnerability. This lead-up to the anthemic chorus is downright Faustian, about a contract in the process of being broken.