Calgone
Incubus Lyrics


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On my way home, police car pulled me over.
After they left, I puttered out of gas.
Triple-A' came, but my card was expired!
I had to walk home, and of course, it rained half the time.
I tried to get some shut-eye, then I was abducted!

They put cold things in my butt.
They sampled a bit of my D.N.A.
They left me on top of my sheets,
I dreamt I went potty, then woke up drenched in me.
This day sucked the hardest ever

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.
A little bit less than nothing would go my way.
I got up to toss my soiled sheets,
the hallway was dark and I stubbed my big toe.
It was then that I sensed the irony (burning me),
then I heard the voice say,
"Come sail aboard S.S. Nepenthe!"

I suppose I'm to blame for getting pulled over.
I guess I'm the culprit for running out of gas.
Let's assume I'm the guy who didn't pay his 'Triple-A' fee.
In actuality, I let the zetas probe me.
Yesterday was all my fault.

I let negativity get the better of me.




Thank goodness for the bathtubs and suds!
They temporarily set free this quandary

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Calgone" by Incubus are a quirky and imaginative narrative detailing a series of unfortunate events that leave the singer feeling drained and defeated. The song opens with the singer getting pulled over by the police on his way home, followed by running out of gas and finding out his Triple-A card has expired. Things only get worse as he is abducted by extraterrestrial beings who perform strange medical experiments on him. The lyrics blend a sense of humor with a sense of frustration, almost as if the singer is trying to find the humor in the absurdity of his situation.


As the song progresses, the lyrics become darker and more introspective. The singer wakes up feeling like everything is going wrong and nothing will go his way. He tosses his soiled sheets only to stub his toe in the dark hallway. This is when he hears a voice inviting him to "Come sail aboard S.S. Nepenthe!" Nepenthe is a Greek word meaning "a drug or drink, or a plant or potion, that induces forgetfulness of sorrow or eases pain." The invitation seems to be an offer of escape from the singer's troubles.


In the chorus, the singer takes responsibility for his misfortunes, admitting that he is the one to blame for getting pulled over, running out of gas, and even for failing to renew his Triple-A card. The line "in actuality, I let the zetas probe me" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the idea of alien abduction.


Overall, the lyrics to "Calgone" present a relatable but exaggerated tale of a string of unfortunate events. The narrative is delivered with a wry sense of humor and playful imagery, while still touching on deeper themes of personal responsibility and emotional escape.


Line by Line Meaning

On my way home, police car pulled me over.
I got stopped by the cops while driving home.


After they left, I puttered out of gas.
Right after they left, I ran out of gas.


Triple-A' came, but my card was expired!
AAA showed up but my membership had lapsed.


I had to walk home, and of course, it rained half the time.
I had to hoof it home, getting rained on the whole way.


I tried to get some shut-eye, then I was abducted!
After trying to sleep, I was kidnapped!


They put cold things in my butt.
They stuck cold things into my behind.


They sampled a bit of my D.N.A.
They took a bit of my DNA as a sample.


They left me on top of my sheets,
They left me on top of my bed covers,


I dreamt I went potty, then woke up drenched in me.
I had a dream about going to the bathroom and then woke up wet.


This day sucked the hardest ever.
This was the worst day ever.


I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.
I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.


A little bit less than nothing would go my way.
Nothing went my way today.


I got up to toss my soiled sheets,
I got out of bed to throw away my dirty bedding,


the hallway was dark and I stubbed my big toe.
It was dark in the hallway and I stubbed my toe.


It was then that I sensed the irony (burning me), then I heard the voice say, "Come sail aboard S.S. Nepenthe!"
At that moment, I felt the irony (like a burning sensation) and then heard a voice telling me to come aboard the S.S. Nepenthe.


I suppose I'm to blame for getting pulled over.
I guess I'm at fault for getting pulled over.


I guess I'm the culprit for running out of gas.
I'm to blame for running out of gas.


Let's assume I'm the guy who didn't pay his 'Triple-A' fee.
Let's say I'm the person who didn't pay their AAA membership fee.


In actuality, I let the zetas probe me.
In reality, I was abducted by extraterrestrial beings.


Yesterday was all my fault.
Yesterday was entirely my fault.


I let negativity get the better of me.
I allowed negative thoughts to take over.


Thank goodness for the bathtubs and suds!
Thankfully, I had a bathtub and soap to wash away my problems.


They temporarily set free this quandary
Taking a bath was a temporary solution to my problems.




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

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