Savannah Stern - To Affair Is Human - Jan 24 2011 - 720p Link -
The oddly phrased title—To Affair Is Human—plays on the old adage “to err is human.” In a subtle subversion, Stern swaps “err” for “affair,” hinting that the inevitable missteps of love are not just errors but intimate, sometimes inevitable entanglements.
“We’re just strangers with the same scars,
In a hallway where the lights never start…”
These lines, delivered in a breathy, half‑spoken cadence, set the tone for a song that is simultaneously intimate and universal. The lyricism navigates the gray area between casual flings and deep‑seated longing, suggesting that the impulse to connect—even in a fleeting affair—is woven into the fabric of our humanity. The oddly phrased title— To Affair Is Human
“To Affair Is Human” remains a poignant reminder that even the most fleeting romantic escapades are anchored in our shared vulnerability. Savannah Stern’s modest yet masterful approach—melding earnest lyricism with a warm, analog soundscape—has turned a single indie track into a quiet anthem for anyone who has ever stood at the crossroads of impulse and conscience.
Whether you discover it for the first time or revisit it after a decade, the song’s gentle insistence—we’re all just human, after all—continues to echo in the soft hum of late‑night playlists and the whispered confessions of the digital age. “We’re just strangers with the same scars, In
If you enjoyed this feature, stay tuned for our upcoming deep‑dives into other hidden indie gems from the early 2010s.
When it first dropped, “To Affair Is Human” received modest airplay on stations such as WXPN and KEXP, and it quickly amassed a dedicated following on early social‑media platforms (MySpace, then Facebook). Critics praised its lyrical honesty: These lines, delivered in a breathy, half‑spoken cadence,
“Savannah Stern turns the age‑old confession of infidelity into a meditation on shared humanity.” — Pitchfork, March 2011
The track also found a second life in 2014 when an indie‑film soundtrack used a short excerpt during a pivotal breakup scene, prompting a resurgence of streams on Spotify and Apple Music. As of 2026, the song has accumulated over 6 million plays across major platforms—a respectable number for an indie release from a pre‑streaming era.