There are multiple artists using this name:

Incubus is a five-man al… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists using this name:

Incubus is a five-man alternative rock band formed in 1991, based in Calabasas, California. Members include Brandon Boyd (vocals and percussion), Mike Einziger (guitar), Ben Kenney (bass), Jose Pasillas II (drums) and DJ Chris Kilmore (turntables). Former members of the band include Gavin Koppel (a.k.a. DJ Lyfe) (turntables) and Alex Katunich (a.k.a. Dirk Lance) (bass). The band's name may seem a peculiar choice to fans, as an incubus is a type of demon that, in mythological lore, comes in the night and has sex with women while they are sleeping; it seduces them in their dreams The story behind the name is that the band needed to think of a name hours before their first show and, after a few failed choices, Mike looked in a dictionary and chose "Incubus" almost at random. Mike says that the name was chosen because it sounded silly; Brandon holds that it was chosen because they were teenagers and the definition had the word "sex" in it. "We really didn't want to rape women in their sleep. But, we were fifteen and it seemed harmless to us then, and we never changed it," says the band.

Incubus has received both critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching multi-platinum sales, as well as releasing several successful singles. The band earned mainstream recognition with the release of their 1999 album Make Yourself. In 2001, Incubus became even more successful with the single "Drive" and their follow-up album Morning View. Their sixth studio album, Light Grenades, debuted at No. 1 in 2006 and has received Gold certification in the U.S. Incubus released their first greatest hits album Monuments and Melodies in June 2009, accompanied by a tour of the United States, Japan and Canada. The band's most recent album, 8, was released on April 21st, 2017.

2. A death/thrash metal band from Metairie, Louisiana. The band was made up of Francis Howard (guitar/vocals), Moyses Howard (drums), Andre Luiz (bass), and Luiz Carlos (guitar). The two Howard brothers are actually from Brazil, and immigrated to Louisiana. This Incubus has released one demo, and two albums, with one album being remastered and re-released with a different track listing. This band has changed their name to Opprobrium.

3. A death/thrash metal band from Georgia who released one demo in 1987. The drummer, Mike Browning, went on to Morbid Angel and later Nocturnus fame.

4. A thrash metal band from São Paulo, Brazil that released 2 demos in 1986 and 1988.

5. A thrash metal band from João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.

6. A New Wave of British Heavy Metal band that released a full-length album "To the Devil a Daughter" in 1984. Still a favorite among NWOBHM fans.

7. A death/thrash metal band from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Released a demo "Sinful Dreams" in 1987. Changed their name to Spectral Birth in 1988.

8. A Techno/Rave combo.

108 Just a Phase
Incubus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am bottled fizzy water
And you were shaking me up
You are a fingernail running
Down the chalkboard I thought I left in third grade
Now my only consolation
Is that this could not last forever
Even though you're singing and thinking how well you've got it made

Who are you?
And will you be through
Yeah, it's just a phase
It will be over soon
Yeah, it's just a phase
Yeah, it's just a...phase

Call it women's intuition
But I think I'm on to something here
Temporaryism has been the black plague
And the Jesus of our age
I know that I sound opinionated
Maybe biased and quite possibly jaded
But sooner than later they'll be throwing quarters at you on the stage

Who are you?
And will you be through
Yeah, it's just a phase
It will be over soon
Yeah, it's just a phase
Yeah, it's just a, phase

And I am waiting for it to be over too

Overall Meaning

In Incubus's song "Just A Phase," the singer compares themselves to "bottled fizzy water" that has been shaken up by someone else. This person, described as "a fingernail running down the chalkboard," causes the singer discomfort and reminds them of something they had thought they left behind in the past. Despite feeling somewhat trapped in this situation, the singer takes comfort in knowing that it won't last forever. They also express a sense of frustration with the person who is causing them distress, seeing their behavior as part of a larger cultural trend of valuing temporary experiences and superficial appearances.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "yeah, it's just a phase" several times, suggesting that the problems described in the verses will eventually pass. However, the singer also expresses uncertainty and skepticism about this idea, wondering if the person causing them discomfort will ever really be "through" with this phase of their life. They also suggest that the culture at large is similarly prone to getting caught up in temporary trends rather than pursuing deeper, more lasting values.

Overall, "Just A Phase" is a complex meditation on the fleeting nature of human experience and the struggle to find lasting meaning in a world that values transience and superficiality. The song is marked by a strong sense of tension between the singer's desire for stability and their recognition of the impermanence of all things.

Line by Line Meaning

I am bottled fizzy water
I am easily susceptible to being shaken and disturbed

And you were shaking me up
You caused me to be shaken up and become unstable

You are a fingernail running
You are a bothersome presence, like a fingernail scraping down a chalkboard

Down the chalkboard I thought I left in third grade
You are a reminder of a past discomfort that I thought I had moved beyond

Now my only consolation
The only comfort I have is the thought that this won't last forever

Is that this could not last forever
This uncomfortable and unsettling situation is only temporary

Even though you're singing and thinking how well you've got it made
You may be enjoying yourself, but I know that it won't last

Who are you?
I question your identity and motives

And will you be through
Will you be gone soon?

Yeah, it's just a phase
This situation is only temporary

It will be over soon
This situation won't last

Call it women's intuition
I have a feeling that I'm on to something

But I think I'm on to something here
I believe that I have uncovered the truth

Temporaryism has been the black plague
The tendency to embrace temporary things has had a negative impact on society

And the Jesus of our age
Temporary things have become a false idol in our society

I know that I sound opinionated
I realize that my views may not be universally accepted

Maybe biased and quite possibly jaded
I may be influenced by my own experiences and prejudices

But sooner than later they'll be throwing quarters at you on the stage
Your temporary status will eventually come to an end and you will no longer be popular or well-liked

And I am waiting for it to be over too
I can't wait for the temporary situation to end

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEX KATUNICH, BRANDON BOYD, BRANDON CHARLES BOYD, CHRISTOPHER KILMORE, JOSE PASILLAS II, JOSE ANTHONY II PASILLAS, MICHAEL EINZIGER, MICHAEL AARON EINZIGER

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