Synopsis

Set inside a deserted London theater, the video presents Philip Oakey as the ghost of a performer who still haunts the building. As the Human League arrive to rehearse, Oakey appears in the dressing room, singing toward his own reflection in the mirror. The eerie theatrical scenes are intercut with archival footage of John Cobb's fatal 1952 attempt to break the world water-speed record on Scotland's Loch Ness, giving the polished synth-pop single an unexpectedly macabre edge.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed at a deserted theater in London, using the abandoned setting to reinforce its ghost-story atmosphere.

• Archival footage of John Cobb's crash on Loch Ness is a central visual element. Cobb died on September 29, 1952, while attempting to set a new world water-speed record.

• The video was made for the Human League's first new material after the international success of the album "Dare" and its accompanying world tour.

• "Mirror Man" was originally developed under the working title "Can't Get To Sleep At Night."

• The song was written as a celebration of Philip Oakey and Philip Adrian Wright's shared enthusiasm for Motown. Its production also marked a move beyond the band's strictly electronic image, with electric bass and hand percussion contributing to the track.

• "Mirror Man" was the lead video on "The Human League Video Single," a short-form release that also featured "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" and "Don't You Want Me."