Paradise comes at a price
That I am not prepared to pay
What were we built for?
Could someone tell me please?

The good news is, she can't have babies
And won't accept gifts from me
What are they for?
They'll just grow up, and break the laws you've loved

Take off your disguise
And all your underneath
It's my aim

Useless device, it won't suffice
I want a new game to play
When I am gone
It won't be long, before I disturb you in the dark

And paradise comes at a price
That I am not prepared to pay
What were we built for?
Will someone tell me please?

Take off your disguise
And all your underneath
It's my aim



Lyrics submitted by 3ssence

Track duration: 04:40

"Megalomania" as written by Matthew James Bellamy

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Megalomania song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:This song may very well be much darker than some experience it...

    "Paradise comes at a price -- that I'm not prepared to pay"

    No pain no gain; I want the gain without the pain.

    "What were we built for? -- Could someone tell me please?"

    This is really a question to which there is no concrete answer. The person who asks this question knows this and uses it as an excuse for his behaviour: If what I do is so incredibly wrong, then show me (not necessarily divine) proof. Until that day comes I will keep doing what I'm doing without taking into account other people.

    "The good news is, she can't have babies / They'll just grow up and break the laws you've loved"

    This is the general devaluation of having babies/children. They're a burden and in the end they will break your laws (the things you value.) Also, any attention directed at those children is attention not directed at me; 'me' being vastly more important of course.

    "Take off your disguise -- And all your underneath -- It's my aim"

    My desire is for you to lower your shields. My aim is to break you so you can't defend against my fickle behavior and whim and for you to become a source of attention whenever I need it.

    "Useless device, it won't suffice..."

    When you break a person he or she becomes a shadow of his or her former self. When someone isn't broken they're a possible (future) threat; someone who can stand up to you and this of course is inconvenient. And so being the megalomaniac you are, you attempt to break this person. Someone who *is* broken however often isn't interesting anymore because they're parroting your rhetoric back to you like the newly born sycophants you molded them into.

    "I want a new game to play"

    Nevermind you lying in shambles on the floor, what I want is (always!) more important.

    "When I'm gone -- It won't be long before I disturb you in the dark"

    When you drained someone of all their energy, once the relationship is cut off it will have an aftereffect and this can manifest itself as nightmares. Only someone with a massive ego will be completely convinced he has this effect on someone after all contact has ceased.

    "What were we built for? -- Will someone tell me please?"

    This could be just innocently repeated lines. It could also be the point in time between cycles where the predator (the megalomaniac) is preparing acquisition of new prey and wondering what the purpose of his being is in a brief moment of superficial introspection. This would also tie in nicely with the last bit of the song where he may have found new potential prey and the cycle repeats itself.

    Sometimes there's no silver lining, only darkness.
    Flag ElysiaMuseon February 07, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I'm probably way off the mark here but it could be about a religious man who's stuck in a relationship/marriage and is struggling to accept that he's gay. The good news is "she can't have babies and won't accept gifts from me." He can't see what his purpose is, he sees being gay as unnatural and he is just a "useless device." He's not fulfilling the purpose he thinks God has set out for him.

    He's considering leaving the relationship or killing himself. "When I am gone, it won't be long." He doesn't think that accepting himself as gay and being happy is worth the pain. "Paradise comes at a price that I am not prepared to pay."

    The chorus refers to how he's set up a disguise for himself as a heterosexual, married man.
    Flag sirdoctoron May 20, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Does anyone else feel involved with the story when listening to this song? The music really helps evoke the essence of the character that is speaking, and I love it! I feel like the megalomaniac...

    Matt really is a genius.
    Flag crtvmuseon November 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"What are we built for" shows that he's unsure of his beliefs. And just what is he "not prepared to pay?" Being a better person perhaps? He definitely frowns on society....very negative about people (they all grow up to break laws...perhaps laws of morality). "Take off your disgusie...underneath it's me"...he believes those who believe and who try to follow a righteous path are no better or worse than those who do not. It's really a sad song...a very negative outlook...one of feeling like crap and having no respect for others as well. Great song, though, and the organ music does add a lot to it.
    Flag MissCharlotteSometimeson September 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ive seen other comments on what the title of the song means but when i see the lyrics i imagined it about god creating humans aka anti religous in a way

    'paradise comes at a price
    that i am not prepared to pay' - i see this as heaven and humans are not wanting to commit to a religion to go to 'paradise'

    'what were we built for?
    could someone tell me please?' - a question asked by everyone why are we here etc stuff like that

    'they'll just grow up, and break the laws you've loved' - sounds like hes talking to god its like the adam and eve situatiion taking the apple off the tree etc 'breaking the LAW'

    'take off your disguise
    i know that underneath it's me' - and this is where i believe the term megalomania comes - the person believes they are god and maybe they can rule better....

    btw im new here :)
    Flag yasminbellon February 26, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The "take off your disguise, I know that underneath it's me" part is absolute heaven. It gives me chills everytime, as does pretty much every other Muse song :)
    Flag MuseMon November 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:A person feeling like they can control everything. I know MyLastDays was saying how it seemed so hopeful, but I honestly feel that its kind of dark. I feel like it's someone trying to control somebody else because they feel like they're so much more powerful or whatever. "I want a new game to play." I honestly think of like a cat and a mouse at this time, with like the cat chasing after the mouse and eventually getting bored with it and deciding that it's time to make things more dangerous and raise the stakes. Erm yeah...
    Flag GenerationZer0on April 26, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:megalomania is a word there using to describe heaven.

    This song is about an atheist whos not willing to pay the price to turn to a religion to get paradice.
    Also his wife can't have babies and hes happy about this because they'll just grow up to be atheist like there father and break the laws God loves.

    I was told the worst thing you can do is stray the young away from God and the bible so hes afraid that there might be a God and if he raises his kids to believe there isn't then hes doing the worst thing he can possibley do as a parent.

    Thats what I think only because Muse have a lot of songs that relate to a 50/50 chance of nothingness or life after death.
    Flag phayden73on October 06, 2009   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:''that im not prepared to pay'' i was very catolic a while ago so i try to killmyself and that was the only thing i was thinking back ''then i will not met the poaradise'' i was thinking now im a atheist so i relate a lot.

    the good news is, she can't have babies
    and wont accept gifts from me
    what are they for?
    they'll just grow up, and break the laws you've loved
    this is cleary about rape

    when i am gone
    it won't be long, before i disturb you in the dark
    another part of suicide

    bellamy is a fucking genius i could never express something like that in 4:38
    Flag conversemeon September 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The organ is the biggest church organ in Europe. Read it as a funfact in a music magazine.
    Flag DaHooomieon August 04, 2009   Link

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