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
On principle alone

Hey megalomaniac
You're no Jesus
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
Special, as you know yourself
Baby, just step down, step down

If I were your appendages
I'd hold open your eyes
So you would see
That all of us are heaven sent
There was never meant to be only one
To be only one

Hey megalomaniac
You're no Jesus
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
Special, as you know yourself
Baby, just step down, step down

Yeah
You're no Jesus
You're no Elvis
...
You're no answer

Hey megalomaniac
You're no Jesus
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
Special, as you know yourself
Just step down



Lyrics submitted by prayingmantis84

Track duration: 04:55

"Megalomaniac" as written by Brandon Charles Boyd, Michael Aaron Einziger, Ben Kenney, Christopher E Kilmore, Jose Anthony Pasillas Ii

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

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Megalomaniac song meanings
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183 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I heard this song was a criticism of Maynard James Keenan of Tool - Tool's response to this song was supposedly "The Pot". Not sure if it's true or not, but if you listen to Megalomaniac and then follow it with Tools "the pot" i can definetely see how this could be a very good possibility.
    If it wasn't a personal reference to a specific person, as i have heard it is.... then it is obviously about people in general who stand on their pedestal and think they're like gods when we, as humans, are all created equal. whomever this is about (if anyone specific at all) It is an obvious thing to see that they clearly think this person should just "step down" from their pedestal... stop acting like god or elvis... kuz we are all equal and we are all the same in the end.
    Flag Typhannieon August 24, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ok guys...ready?

    Megalomaniac is one of my favorite songs. I was late to the Incubus party and only in the past two years got into their music in a major way. iI kind of felt like o had missed out on this amazing band as they were releasing album after album after album of pure gold.

    Megalomaniac is a song about all people who have a God complex. Some of you are saying that it is about some one in Brandon Boyd's (Incubus' singer and lyricist) personal life, and while he may have had one individual in mind, it's obvious that its more ominous than that.

    Others of you have said you think its about Bush, Obama, or some political figure. Well, hell yea it is, but again it's about more than just one person. George and Obama are definitely God in their minds, but I don't think Incubus would even want to immortalize either of them by having a song like this specifically be about them. (this is obviously an opinion as I have no real idea about their true political beliefs)

    The low down:
    Verse I:
    What Breandon is saying in this song is if you think you are God, a power hungry, greedy, holier than thou type, you may be heard people may follow/listen to you, but its "unkind" (an inappropriate way of thinking because all human beings are of the same value). He will everything they can to expose you for the person you are every chance they get.

    Verse II:
    Now he is letting the megalomaniac(s) know that if he ever has the opportunity to show them the truth by hold open their eyes he is more than willing. This song is actually his was of attempting to do this.ALL of us are heaven sent and good to the same degree and one person being above the rest in their min is a backwards negative way of thinking.

    Interlude and Chorus:
    Megalomaniacs may think their Jesus, as big as Elvis, but guess what? You're not! So the only solution for a megalomaniac the cleanse themselves of this terrible destructive mind set is to step down off the pedestal.

    I start to wonder if Brandon Boys ever kind of feels like he's in danger of becoming a megalomaniac so he wrote this to keep his head straight. I can see how the lead singer of a popular band like this could easily get a big head without meaning to.

    AND THAT"S MY TWO CENTS!!
    Flag greens4321on May 29, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:*that "scissor fight" huh!?
    Flag joyceey16on July 20, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:what are you trying to say?
    Flag uberbson February 09, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about a guy (possibly a leader of some kind) who needs to step down from his high horse. He thinks he's better than everybody else, and suffers from megalomania (illusions of wealth and power). In reality, he is a nobody compared to for example Jesus or Elvis. At least that's what I think it's about. Someone else has probably said the excact same thing already(I didn't bother reading all the EIGHT(!) pages of boredom about Bush). Btw, awesome song!
    Flag hre010on April 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about Maynard James Keenan. Lead singer of Tool (as well as A Perfect Circle, for those not in the know). This comes from an excellent, source.. Trust me.
    Tool's rebuttal (The Pot) is about Brandon. Believe it.
    Flag weavvvon November 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is crazy, i dont think it is about bush i mean..come on..really, get your heads straight. obama is more than he is with the speculations of 2012 haha but its politics whatever.

    i am pretty sure there has been no megalomaniacs of our time, but possibly in the future. it is said in the bible the the world will end and the savior jesus will come back. i am not saying he is a megalomaniac. but i was in church(my friends church) and they said there will rise a megalomaniac, one who a majority will love, praise, and nearly worship and will twist minds of humankind. and this person will die. people will sad, depressed, until..he comes back to life. the only person to do that is jesus, but it is not jesus, it is actually lucifer, and it is a test to prove to you and god that you are a believer of jesus and his father and you will be saved and those who were astray will well ..yeah haha...but i know some people might think is crazy..and it is. but it does seem logical.

    to me this it what that song is about..i mean with lines saying
    i hear you on the radio
    you permeate my screen

    and you're no jesus


    haha well that was my two cents
    Flag Jakeyboyyon November 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:my favorite incubus song. song meaning is pretty straight forward.
    Flag jtmoneyyyyon October 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i recognize that this song is probably about someone the lead singer of incubus met, or it might just be speaking to all americans.

    but, when i hear this song, i think of charles manson. in 1969, he was all over the news, and the radio. a lot of people were frightened they they might be his next target - therefore, permeating their screens. Manson often had delusions that he could fly.
    He thought he was jesus, and the greatest singer/songwriter to have ever lived. He thought he was going to rule the world, and even after he was arrested he still believed he was some kind of supreme being.
    He organized the ruthless killings of seven people, and believed that the blacks were going to win over the whites in a race war, and that he alone would be spared and would rule over them.

    it all fits to me. although charles manson was probably never even thought about when this song was written, it at least gave me something to think about. and you too, if you care. =)
    Flag basswattaon September 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I read somewhere that this song was originally about Axel Rose of Guns and Roses but the producers of the video changed the whole meaning of the song. Not sure how it's about Axel Rose though, I should look that up...
    Flag marsbar91on August 10, 2009   Link

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