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“Megalomaniac” is a song by the American rock band Incubus, from their 2004 album A Crow Left of the Murder… It was released as a single in December 2003, and eventually reached the top of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks, where it stayed for a six-week period. Outside the United States, the song reached the top 30 in Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Lyrical interpretation

Lead singer Brandon Boyd says the song is not specifically targeting anybody – the song’s meaning pertains to megalomaniacs in general with a particular emphasis on El Guapo from the American comedy film Three Amigos.[1]

Music video

The video shows images of Adolf Hitler interspersed with shots of the band and of many people who are protesting. As the video progresses, officers are sent 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 main figure’s head is consumed by a bald eagle and starts eating people that turned into fish.

Track listing

US/EU CD single

  1. “Megalomaniac” (Radio Edit)
  2. “Monuments and Melodies”
  3. “Pistola” (Live at Lollapalooza 2003)

Charts

References

  1. ^ “Think You Know Who Incubus’ ‘Megalomaniac’ is About? Think Again”. MTV. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014.
  2. ^ “Incubus – Megalomaniac“. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  3. ^ “RR Canada Rock Top 30” (PDF). p. 59. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  4. ^ “Offizielle Deutsche Charts” (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click ‘TITEL VON’, followed by the artist’s name. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  5. ^ “Chart Track: Week 5, 2004“. Irish Singles Chart. Archived from the original. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  6. ^ “Incubus – Megalomaniac“. Top Digital Download. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  7. ^ “Incubus – Megalomaniac” (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  8. ^ “Incubus – Megalomaniac“. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  9. ^ “Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 7/2/2004 – Top 100“. Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  10. ^ “Official Singles Chart on 7/2/2004 – Top 100“. Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  11. ^ “Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 7/2/2004 – Top 40“. Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  12. ^ “Incubus Chart History (Hot 100)“. Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  13. ^ “Incubus Chart History (Mainstream Rock)“. Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  14. ^ “Incubus Chart History (Alternative Airplay)“. Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  15. ^ “2004 Year End Charts: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Titles”. Billboard. December 25, 2004. Archived from the original on May 7, 2005. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  16. ^ “Most-Played Modern Rock Songs of 2004” (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 49. Retrieved March 12, 2026.