1,328,307 plays (242,840 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 Malaysia 2004
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Live In Sweden 2004
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Shouts
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Ask_hat wrote:
ahaha... awesome live version:)
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tallpaul1 wrote:
Hmmm... the live version! nice!! =)
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DrownShips wrote:
Kick Ass Song! Hope that I will see them live someday!
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01rmck wrote:
I had to stop what i was doing when it was finnally kicking in. A great track, and a great live recording, feels like you're really there:)
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Palomer wrote:
The first song scrobbled in my Last FM profile in 2005. Good song.
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sirenonthe101 wrote:
great great great song
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sdlierle wrote:
WOW!!!! A song about President Diablo sending our kids to the middle eat die because the U.S. government is bored !
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cram99 wrote:
This track is about Dirk Lance you idiots. The video was about Bush.
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MatthieuBelAmi wrote:
One of the greatest and most full of hate tracks of history, holy shit what a bass line and explosive drummage and riffage
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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¡¡
Incubus
Megalomaniac
full track
Listeners
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Recent Activity
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regencloud, IVIerle, HallowEve8 and 1 other person loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. 20 minutes ago
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hansonic added Megalomaniac to the playlist All time favourites. 6 hours ago
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monkeychowder74, Defeven, DreadedMon and 34 other people loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. 8 hours ago
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piggypergy and bstalling added Incubus – Megalomaniac to their libraries. Wednesday afternoon
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menshikofff added Megalomaniac to his Loved Tracks. Wednesday afternoon
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ataso added Megalomaniac to the playlist 2000s In Music. Wednesday afternoon
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roccowelsh, 1marta9, Chantal13 and 1 other person loved Incubus – Megalomaniac. Wednesday afternoon
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michaelosmile added Megalomaniac to michaelosmile’s library. Wednesday morning
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michaelosmile tagged Megalomaniac with ‘rock’. Wednesday morning
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UundertowW added Megalomaniac to their Loved Tracks. Wednesday morning
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