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About This Track
“Megalomaniac” is a song by American alternative rock band Incubus, from their 2004 album A Crow Left of the Murder. It was released as a single in December of 2003, and eventually reached the top of Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks, where it stayed for a six-week period.
Contents
Musical qualities
The song begins with a cyclic, scratchy warble that lasts about 30 seconds before fading into a more traditional build. The entire build lasts about one minute in all before climaxing into an electric bass riff, then leading into the first verse. The song is very low-pitched throughout and only up-tempo during the chorus and the intro.
Lyrical interpretations
Though the lead singer Brandon Boyd claims the song is not specifically targeting anybody [1], Megalomaniac has been called a “barely veiled condemnation of George W. Bush”[2]. The band maintains that the song’s meaning pertains to megalomaniacs in general.
Music video
The video for Megalomaniac, directed by Floria Sigismondi, features a bleak, dystopian view of the world portrayed using posterization and spriting (using 2D images in 3D settings). Much of the imagery was inspired by the anti-Nazi photocollages of German artist John Heartfield. Images of Adolf Hitler are interspersed with shots of the band and of many people who are either protesting or helpless and victimized. At the beginning of the 2nd verse, the video shows George W. Bush, then a man very similar to him in appearance, standing on a podium speaking to the revolutionaries. As the video progresses, the Bush look-alike sends officers to disperse the crowd. The speaker’s podium rises very high - then it is revealed that the podium is actually a gas pump.
Contents
Musical qualities
The song begins with a cyclic, scratchy warble that lasts about 30 seconds before fading into a more traditional build. The entire build lasts about one minute in all before climaxing into an electric bass riff, then leading into the first verse. The song is very low-pitched throughout and only up-tempo during the chorus and the intro.
Lyrical interpretations
Though the lead singer Brandon Boyd claims the song is not specifically targeting anybody [1], Megalomaniac has been called a “barely veiled condemnation of George W. Bush”[2]. The band maintains that the song’s meaning pertains to megalomaniacs in general.
Music video
The video for Megalomaniac, directed by Floria Sigismondi, features a bleak, dystopian view of the world portrayed using posterization and spriting (using 2D images in 3D settings). Much of the imagery was inspired by the anti-Nazi photocollages of German artist John Heartfield. Images of Adolf Hitler are interspersed with shots of the band and of many people who are either protesting or helpless and victimized. At the beginning of the 2nd verse, the video shows George W. Bush, then a man very similar to him in appearance, standing on a podium speaking to the revolutionaries. As the video progresses, the Bush look-alike sends officers to disperse the crowd. The speaker’s podium rises very high - then it is revealed that the podium is actually a gas pump.
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Albums featuring this track
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A Crow Left Of The Murder...
Incubus
Buy- Download Album
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Monuments And Melodies
Incubus Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $7.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.99
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- Amazon $13.49
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Alive At Red Rocks
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Megalomaniac
Incubus Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $1.99
- 7digital $1.99
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- Amazon $0.32
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Shouts
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lost_in_blare wrote:
jest moc !!!
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old-man-jenkins wrote:
this track is fking awesome
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WhatTheAlex wrote:
Band is great
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Anni--x3 wrote:
So great <3
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TribesAtWar wrote:
Outstanding!
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LexXxen0k wrote:
AWESOME!!!
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saykkk wrote:
My Favourite Incubus Song <3
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Jok3rNThi3f wrote:
"I cut off both your wings, on principal alone". Fuck yeah, Incubus.
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hey_crush wrote:
Certainly one of my favs of them. That chorus is rocking as hell! [2]
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Storchel wrote:
Certainly one of my favs of them. That chorus is rocking as hell!
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otter_ wrote:
Perfect......the whole experience!
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linoceros wrote:
just awesome!
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Rivis5 wrote:
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis !!!!!
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Fuckafoe wrote:
This song is mostachstic
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DrownShips wrote:
Amazing song and mind blowing musicvideo!!!
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MoreIIi wrote:
hahahaha, yoda fucking elvis!
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Headbanger62695 wrote:
sounds like Rush's Ghostrider at some points, really awesome song though
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braunblau wrote:
aaaargh, ich liebe dieses lied =)
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Lewishalo wrote:
YODA FUCKING ELVIS
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jackjackattacks wrote:
INCUBUS FOREVERRRRR
Track Stats
1,940,151 Scrobbles
353,339 Listeners
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Recent Activity
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belpb, stevenontheradi, Nextdoorscream and 5 other people loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. 33 minutes ago
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sprangadibuio added Megalomaniac to the playlist. Friday evening
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sprangadibuio and deadmemories85 loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. Friday evening
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mamicx added Megalomaniac to mamicx’s library. Friday afternoon
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savageflash, cschulzc, cmfcknw and 8 other people loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. Friday morning
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On-the-flow tagged Megalomaniac with ‘alternative rock’. Wednesday evening
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acalexdc added Megalomaniac to the playlist. Wednesday afternoon
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neti777 added Megalomaniac to neti777’s library. Wednesday afternoon
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neti777 added Megalomaniac to the playlist. Wednesday afternoon
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luede5, Michael523486 and WingedWerefox loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. Wednesday afternoon
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