1,277,951 plays (232,009 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
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10.17.07
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Albums featuring this track
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Megalomaniac
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Live in Japan 2004
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Live In Sweden 2004
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Shouts
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int7 wrote:
Friggin awesome track! This track is about Bush and going to war.
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ijuleguy wrote:
You're no Elvis!!!
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suaveslav wrote:
Nothing wrong with a little feedback.
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airman13579 wrote:
This song is so 2004.
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Pluto88 wrote:
I have the version with a short intro
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JamesDawute wrote:
intro sucks, songs great
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fIatEric wrote:
kinda dislike the 'intro' to that song
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yjiaimz wrote:
Rockzz
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Kyuss_oO wrote:
very cool.
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Kym-B wrote:
*LOVE*
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lala_gosling wrote:
muy buena¡¡
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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.
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ReilyB wrote:
great track. very much underrated
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Tron2 wrote:
cool
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mikkelz wrote:
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
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roxya wrote:
I'll second what st3ppinraz0r said.
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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.
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PepperAnne_ wrote:
GREAT........!!!!
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mcclellen2020 wrote:
Megalo - Incubus !!! Awesome !!!
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psychonautt wrote:
GReaT SoNG!
Incubus
Megalomaniac
full track
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Recent Activity
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heartvsfist added Megalomaniac to his Loved Tracks. 15 minutes ago
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khosek and marylizhcj added Incubus – Megalomaniac to their libraries. 4 hours ago
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vinzm added Megalomaniac to his Loved Tracks. yesterday afternoon
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broken_705 added Megalomaniac to the playlist seen live. yesterday afternoon
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burymedeep, Metalside09, Lidziaczek and 4 other people loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. yesterday afternoon
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Monimena added Megalomaniac to Monimena’s library. Saturday afternoon
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Monimena added Megalomaniac to the playlist. Saturday afternoon
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MidnightTurmoil, allarna and ExtraLag loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. Saturday morning
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bobbarker3244 added Megalomaniac to the playlist Incubus. Saturday morning
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bobbarker3244 and zaralcala added Incubus – Megalomaniac to their libraries. Saturday morning
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