Human Nature by Michael Jackson

Overview

Key: D major · Chords used: 17 · Sections: 12

Form: Intro → Verse → Chorus → Verse → Chorus → Transition → Interlude → Verse → Chorus → Chorus → Chorus → Interlude

Where these chords come from: an expert transcription of the original recording made for the McGill Billboard Project (Burgoyne, Wild & Fujinaga, 2011). This page shows that transcription as-is: the analysis below is generated directly from it by code, not written by AI. Consecutive repeats of a chord are shown once, and the piano voicings are our playable arrangement of each chord symbol, not a note-for-note transcription.

Section by section

Intro

• Gadd9 – A – Fmaj9 – Em11 (×2)
  IVadd9 – V – bIIImaj9 – ii11

Verse 1

• Gadd9 – A (×6)
  IVadd9 – V
• Gadd9 – F♯m7 – Em9
  IVadd9 – iii7 – ii9
• A – Gadd9 (×7)
  V – IVadd9
• F♯m7 – Em9 – A
  iii7 – ii9 – V

Chorus 1

• G – A – D – D/C♯ – D/B – D/A – G – F♯m7 – Em7 – Bm – G – A – D – D/C♯ – D/B – D/A – G – F♯m7 – Em – A
  IV – V – I – I (bass C♯) – I (bass B) – I⁶₄ – IV – iii7 – ii7 – vi – IV – V – I – I (bass C♯) – I (bass B) – I⁶₄ – IV – iii7 – ii – V

Verse 2

• Gadd9 – A (×6)
  IVadd9 – V
• Gadd9 – F♯m7 – Em9 – A
  IVadd9 – iii7 – ii9 – V

Chorus 2

• G – A – D – D/C♯ – D/B – D/A – G – F♯m7 – Em7 – Bm (×2)
  IV – V – I – I (bass C♯) – I (bass B) – I⁶₄ – IV – iii7 – ii7 – vi
• Em – Bm (×2)
  ii – vi

Transition

• Em7 – A7(no3)
  ii7 – V7(no3)

Interlude 1

• Gadd9 – A – Fmaj9 – Em11 (×2)
  IVadd9 – V – bIIImaj9 – ii11

Verse 3

Same chords as Verse 2.

Chorus 3

• G – A – D – D/C♯ – D/B – D/A – G – F♯m7 – Em7 – Bm – G – A – D – D/C♯ – D/B – D/A – G – F♯m7 – Em7 – Dmaj7/A
  IV – V – I – I (bass C♯) – I (bass B) – I⁶₄ – IV – iii7 – ii7 – vi – IV – V – I – I (bass C♯) – I (bass B) – I⁶₄ – IV – iii7 – ii7 – Imaj⁴₃

Chorus 4

Same chords as Chorus 3.

Chorus 5

• G – A – D – D/C♯ – D/B – D/A – G – F♯m7 – Em7 – Bm – G – A – D – D/C♯ – D/B – D/A – G – F♯m7 – Em7 – A7(no3)
  IV – V – I – I (bass C♯) – I (bass B) – I⁶₄ – IV – iii7 – ii7 – vi – IV – V – I – I (bass C♯) – I (bass B) – I⁶₄ – IV – iii7 – ii7 – V7(no3)

Interlude 2

• Gadd9 – A – Fmaj9 – Em11 (×3)
  IVadd9 – V – bIIImaj9 – ii11
• B♭maj13
  bVImaj13

Chord vocabulary

Harmonic highlights

• Fmaj9 (bIIImaj9) is borrowed from the parallel key, D minor.
• B♭maj13 (bVImaj13) is borrowed from the parallel key, D minor.

Sources & accuracy

• Chords and sections: the McGill Billboard Project (Burgoyne, Wild & Fujinaga, 2011). Expert transcription by trained musicians (song 0637, CC0), via ChoCo.
• Not verified: only one expert transcription of this song is available so far.
• 6 chords were simplified to the closest symbol our player supports (for example, an unusual added tone dropped).
• Rhythm and chord durations aren't shown; each step is one chord change.