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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
The official video, released on January 24, 2011, was filmed in the cramped back‑room of an old Brooklyn laundromat. Shot in 720p on a handheld DSLR, the grainy aesthetic mirrors the track’s intimate feel.
Key visual motifs:
| Scene | Symbolism | |-------|-----------| | Opening shot of a flickering neon sign | The unreliable glow reflects the fleeting nature of modern romance. | | Close‑up of a handwritten note being crumpled | The act of discarding words mirrors the ephemerality of the affair. | | Slow‑motion footage of a couple dancing in a rain‑spattered hallway | Water as a cleansing element juxtaposed with the lingering moisture of regret. | | Final frame: Stern walking away, leaving the door ajar | Suggests both closure and the possibility of return—an “open‑ended” human experience. |
The video’s low‑resolution aesthetic is intentional: it evokes a sense of nostalgia for early‑YouTube aesthetics, reinforcing the idea that our most personal moments often live in the margins of digital archives. “We’re just strangers with the same scars, In
Savannah Stern emerged from the New‑York indie‑pop circuit in the late‑2000s, a scene that prized lo‑fi aesthetics, earnest lyricism, and a DIY approach to recording. After a string of self‑released EPs that garnered modest college‑radio play, Stern signed a short‑term deal with the boutique label Indigo Echo. “To Affair Is Human” marks the centerpiece of her debut full‑length, Heart‑Cartography (released early 2011), and quickly became a fan favorite for its bittersweet blend of synth‑driven melodies and confessional storytelling.
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.