Review: Listen to a New Kind of Country Song with "Humanity" by Jeremy Parsons

A soft and ethereal backing track paired with the familiar twang of country vocals is not something you hear every day. It makes the song instantly feel tender, as each verse and chorus melt through the speakers. The chorus adds a drum track as well as guitars to create a pop-country feel, before cutting back out for each verse. It creates a level of dimension that is unique to the song. The divide between the chorus and verses was intentional, as Jeremy Parsons says “I was texting Dustin Martin, the producer of this track, and he sent me a song by The Beatles. He pointed out how he liked the transfer from the verse to the Chorus as it switched from a major to a minor, as in, if the song’s verses were in the key of D, it switched to a D minor for the first note of the Chorus. I also really liked this and decided to write a song that did a similar thing. Thus Humanity was born.”

The message feels deeply personal as the singer speaks directly to his listener in what feels like a conversation between friends. Parsons has said “The lyrics emerged from looking at the world, choosing to slip into madness because of uncertainty and lack of patience…the earliest part of my career was my most successful by industry standards and opinions. Although it was a great start, I did not like the energy and people I was surrounded by. It always felt gross and like the focus wasn’t on making art. It was about this constant need to be relevant but unwilling to adapt. It was foolish, stubborn, and proud. It was excruciating to watch.”

The lyrics help to further this message with lines like “Tell me what you think you're doing/I'll try and board your train of thought.” While simple, lines like these convey how much Parsons wants to understand his audience and get their perspective as well. The chorus mirrors his sentiments about the state of the world “I saw that humanity was dying inside them/With no plan to save them from themselves/Yeah good and bad seeds get planted all around us/I have seen and learned this lesson well/Yeah withered souls will never know true wealth.” It almost feels like a plea for change, with a level of acceptance that you can’t force it.

If you want a song with a deeper meaning that’s an interesting listen to boot, “Humanity” by Jeremy Parsons is a must-have for your playlist!

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