Megalomaniac (song)
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| "Megalomaniac" | ||
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| Single by Incubus | ||
| from the album A Crow Left of the Murder... |
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| Released | 15 December 2003 (song) 4 May 2004 (single) |
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| Format | Enhanced CD | |
| Recorded | October 2003 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 4:28 (radio edit) 4:54 (album version) |
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| Label | Epic/Immortal | |
| Writer(s) | Incubus | |
| Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien | |
| Certification | None | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Incubus singles chronology | ||
| "Are You In?" (2002) |
"Megalomaniac" (2004) |
"Talk Shows on Mute" (2004) |
"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.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] Lyrical interpretations and controversy
Megalomaniac is widely regarded as the most controversial Incubus song ever released. The song is characterized as an "anti-Bush anthem" by many. The band maintains that the song's meaning pertains to megalomaniacs in general. Christian media critics such as Focus on the Family took offense to the apparent comparison of Jesus to Elvis in the chorus, however, the subject of the song is neither.
[edit] 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). 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. The gas pump spurts oil over the crowd, while the Bush figure's head is consumed by a Bald Eagle. At many points throughout the video winged people are shown descending to the ground whom could be interpreted as normal beings who bring change to politics. The video also shows a somewhat disturbing image of two parents feeding their baby with oil. The broad theme of the video seems to be corruption in general, though oil and explosions are recurrent symbols as well. MTV refused to show the video during daytime airplay due to the controversy.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "Hit That" by The Offspring |
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single April 21, 2004 |
Succeeded by "I Miss You" by Blink-182 |
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| Brandon Boyd | Mike Einziger | Jose Pasillas | DJ Chris Kilmore | Ben Kenney |
| Alex Katunich | Gavin Koppell |
| Discography |
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| Studio albums: Fungus Amongus | S.C.I.E.N.C.E. | Make Yourself | Morning View | A Crow Left of the Murder... | Light Grenades |
| Live albums: Live at Lollapalooza 2003 | Live in Japan 2004 | Live in Sweden 2004 | Live in Malaysia 2004 |
| DVDs: When Incubus Attacks Volume 2 | Morning View Sessions | Alive at Red Rocks |
| EPs: Enjoy Incubus | When Incubus Attacks Volume 1 |
| Singles: "A Certain Shade of Green" | "Pardon Me" | "Stellar" | "Drive" | "Wish You Were Here" | "Warning" | "Nice to Know You" | "Are You In?" | "Circles" | "Megalomaniac" | "Talk Shows on Mute" | "Agoraphobia" | "Make a Move" | "Anna-Molly" | "Dig" | "Love Hurts" |
