1,170,698 plays (217,193 listeners)
“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.
Video
Added by mx212
Incubus @ Arena Monterrey
10.17.07
Share Video
See 3 more
10.17.07
‘Megalomaniac’ Lyrics
I hear you on the radio
You permeate my screen, its' unkind but
If I met you in a scissor fight
I'd cut off both your wings on principle alone
Read full ‘Megalomaniac’ lyrics…
Related Tracks
-
Agoraphobia
Incubus -
Talk Shows on Mute
Incubus -
Blue Orchid
The White Stripes -
Show Me How to Live
Audioslave -
Cochise
Audioslave -
Icky Thump
The White Stripes
Albums featuring this track
Shouts
-
Kym-B wrote:
*LOVE*
-
lala_gosling wrote:
muy buena¡¡
-
tut0101 wrote:
I love the build-up and transition into the refrain, it's like a release of energy all at once. This is good rock.
-
ReilyB wrote:
great track. very much underrated
-
Tron2 wrote:
cool
-
mikkelz wrote:
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
-
roxya wrote:
I'll second what st3ppinraz0r said.
-
st3ppinraz0r wrote:
this is one of two good songs on that album. the rest is just garbage. their newest CD isn't that good either. if you wanna hear some good Incubus check out their older albums. almost all of those are great from start to finish.
-
PepperAnne_ wrote:
GREAT........!!!!
-
mcclellen2020 wrote:
Megalo - Incubus !!! Awesome !!!
-
psychonautt wrote:
GReaT SoNG!
-
soundforpound wrote:
O my lofty delusions of grandeur, leave me wanting more
-
MythMathMoth wrote:
raw power in music is not dead (yet)
-
Viktorkastro wrote:
the best group.....after billy talent...of course....XD
-
rohus24 wrote:
lovely!
-
clutclut wrote:
awesome song to listen to on one of your lazy days. it gets you up and going.
-
tallpaul1 wrote:
This track makes me so HORNY!
-
Adanedhel-Noir wrote:
grungy! :)
-
ericsantana wrote:
absorvente de faith no more...
-
Noichigo wrote:
Goooooooooooood !
Listeners
-
gpavelic
Listening now
-
Harvest610
Listening now
-
kaliluvsyou
Listening now
-
Dambiilis
Top Listener
-
izalef
Top Listener
-
chrisgau
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
WiKKiEPint and kowalski0000 loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. 2 hours ago
-
BenGee88 added Megalomaniac to BenGee88’s library. 5 hours ago
-
BenGee88 added Megalomaniac to the playlist Incubus. 5 hours ago
-
Luminescencja, Psymoneuh, mugglesophie and 3 other people loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. 6 hours ago
-
DavidFenn19 added Megalomaniac to the playlist. yesterday afternoon
-
SpecialEd85, sarahbia, Tscheioheneies and 2 other people loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. yesterday afternoon
-
ferchita86 added Megalomaniac to ferchita86’s library. Friday evening
-
carol_caldas, xxvanillaxx, moudkv and 1 other person loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. Friday evening
-
skue88 added Megalomaniac to the playlist Rock. Friday morning
-
sictransithaylo added Megalomaniac to her Loved Tracks. Friday morning
Related Journals
-
Playlist: Search and Destroy / 17. April 2009 - Alternative Floor
by teenagekicksbln |
21 Apr 2009 | Add comment
-
Bored and it made me think!
by Chrozby |
29 Mar 2009 | Add comment
-
Quiz about my top 50
by jenny_skywalker |
3 Mar 2009 | Add comment
