"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 Billboards 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.
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 "Megalomaniac" (Radio Edit) "Monuments and Melodies" "Pistola" (Live at Lollapalooza 2003)
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "Megalomaniac"Chart (2004)PeakpositionCanada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)9
Year-end charts +Year-end chart performance for "Megalomaniac"Chart (2004)PositionUS Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard) 10US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) 1
References