Synopsis

The Human League perform "The Lebanon" on a theatrical stage before an enthusiastic crowd. Phil Oakey takes the lead at center stage while Joanne Catherall and Susanne Sulley provide the visual balance associated with the group. The presentation resembles concert footage, with dramatic lighting, audience reactions, and a deliberately energetic performance style. Rather than depicting events from the Lebanese Civil War referenced in the lyrics, the video presents the band as a live act and emphasizes the song's harder, more guitar-driven sound.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed at London's Theatre Royal in March 1984.

• Although it looks like footage from an actual Human League concert, the event was staged specifically for the video. The band mimed to the studio recording, while the audience consisted of invited extras and dancers positioned near the front of the stage.

• The concept was intended to showcase the Human League as a live act while retaining a carefully stylized pop-video appearance.

• "The Lebanon" marked a notable change in the group's sound. Built around prominent bass and distorted guitar, the track was considerably heavier than the synth-pop associated with the band's breakthrough album, "Dare."

• The song was written by Philip Oakey and Jo Callis and addresses the Lebanese Civil War. Its topical subject matter made the concert-style video an unusual contrast to the serious theme of the lyrics.

• The single reached No. 11 in the United Kingdom and became the first release from the 1984 album "Hysteria."