Released: July 16, 1988
Songwriter: John Bettis Steve Porcaro
Producer: Quincy Jones
[Verse 1]
Reaching out
Across the night-time
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out
Into the night-time
Four walls won't hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite
[Chorus]
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
[Verse 2]
Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl
She knows I'm watching
She likes the way I stare
[Chorus]
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
I like livin' this way
I like lovin' this way
[Refrain]
Ha-wah-oh-wah
Ha-wah-wah
[Verse 3]
Reaching out
Into the night-time
The city's heart begins to beat
Reaching out
I touch her shoulder
I'm dreaming of the street
Everybody sing
[Chorus]
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
Everybody, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why? Why? Why?"
Ooh, tell them
Why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why? Why? Why?"
Ooh, tell 'em
Why does he do me that way?
I like living this way
[Outro]
Ha-wah-oh-wah
Ha-wah-oh-wah
Wah...
Reaching out
Across the night-time
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out
Into the night-time
Four walls won't hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite
[Chorus]
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
[Verse 2]
Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl
She knows I'm watching
She likes the way I stare
[Chorus]
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
I like livin' this way
I like lovin' this way
[Refrain]
Ha-wah-oh-wah
Ha-wah-wah
[Verse 3]
Reaching out
Into the night-time
The city's heart begins to beat
Reaching out
I touch her shoulder
I'm dreaming of the street
Everybody sing
[Chorus]
If they say, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
Everybody, "Why? Why?"
Tell 'em that is human nature
Why, why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why? Why? Why?"
Ooh, tell them
Why does he do me that way?
If they say, "Why? Why? Why? Why?"
Ooh, tell 'em
Why does he do me that way?
I like living this way
[Outro]
Ha-wah-oh-wah
Ha-wah-oh-wah
Wah...
The Indispensable Collection
- Leave Me Alone
- Heal the World
- Childhood
- Who Is It
- Tabloid Junkie
- Give In to Me
- HIStory
- Little Susie / Pie Jesu
- Smile
- Keep the Faith
- Blood on the Dance Floor
- Gone Too Soon
- Can’t Let Her Get Away
- Remember the Time
- Rock with You
- You Are Not Alone
- Workin’ Day and Night
- Get on the Floor
- Girlfriend
- I Can’t Help It
- It’s the Falling in Love
- Burn This Disco Out
- The Lady in My Life
- Why You Wanna Trip on Me
- In the Closet
- Superfly Sister
- Ghosts
- Another Part of Me (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- She’s Out of My Life (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Medley: I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I’ll Be There (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Rock With You (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Human Nature (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Smooth Criminal (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Dirty Diana (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Thriller (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Beat It (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Billie Jean (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Earth Song (Hani’s Club Experience)
- Is It Scary
- Money (Fire Island Radio Edit)
- You Are Not Alone (Classic Club Mix)
- Come Together
- Workin’ Day and Night (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Scream Louder (Flyte Tyme Remix)
- HIStory (Tony Moran’s HIStory Lesson)
- This Place Hotel (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Bad (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- This Time Around (D.M. Radio Mix)
- Stranger in Moscow (Tee’s In-House Club Mix)
- Man in the Mirror (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Billie Jean
- Jam
- Money
- She Drives Me Wild
- This Time Around
- Threatened
- Unbreakable
- The Girl Is Mine
- Beat It
- Smooth Criminal
- D.S.
- Will You Be There
- Invincible
- Heartbreaker
- Man in the Mirror
- Bad
- Dirty Diana
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
- Human Nature
- Stranger in Moscow
- P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
- Thriller
- They Don’t Care About Us
- 2 Bad (Refugee Camp Mix)
- 2 Bad
- She’s Out of My Life
- Black or White
- Speechless
- 2000 Watts
- You Are My Life
- Privacy
- Don’t Walk Away
- The Lost Children
- Whatever Happens
- Speed Demon
- Liberian Girl
- Just Good Friends
- Another Part of Me
- Butterflies
- You Rock My World
- Scream
- Morphine
- Earth Song
- Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough
- Off the Wall
- Dangerous
- Baby Be Mine
- The Way You Make Me Feel
- Cry
- Break of Dawn
- Heaven Can Wait
- I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
- Live at Wembley (July 16, 1988) (2012)
- Bad 25th Anniversary (2012)
- The Indispensable Collection (2013)
- Billie Jean
- Smooth Criminal
- They Don’t Care About Us
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
- Man in the Mirror
- Thriller
- Human Nature
- Beat It
- Dirty Diana
- Heal the World
- Bad
- Black or White
- Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough
- Earth Song
- P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
- Rock with You
- The Way You Make Me Feel
- You Are Not Alone
- Remember the Time
- You Rock My World
- Will You Be There
- Scream
- Off the Wall
- The Girl Is Mine