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.
Crowded Elevator
Incubus Lyrics
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Thirteen suited strangers make a crowded elevator slow
And I've got a million words and phases on the tip of my tongue
For the only non-stranger next to me, soon she'll know
(let ?em stare)
If I could
I think I would give in
I need to spill
Let it all out right now
And expose every inch in front of them
Twelve more floors
And your eyes in mine are all I need to come clean
Or should I wait until the lobby
And spare the lives of some twenty-six nervous eyes
Being occupied by the little red numbers passing by?
If I wait one minute longer
I think I will die
(let ?em stare)
If I could
I think I would give in
And let you in on how I feel
I need to spill
Let it all out right now
Expose every inch in front of them
You help me to feel, see and know why all the while I've been so inquisitive
I can't go back ?cause now I know
How it feels to open up and breathe
The song "Crowded Elevator" by Incubus is about feeling trapped with emotions that the singer wants to express to someone on an elevator ride, but is held back by the presence of strangers. The opening line sets the scene: it's almost 6pm and the elevator is crowded with thirteen strangers, making it feel slow and claustrophobic. The singer is next to a woman who is not a stranger and he has a million words and phrases on the tip of his tongue to express how he feels to her. He wants to spill his heart out and expose every inch of his emotions in front of everyone in the elevator, but he's held back by the presence of strangers, who he refers to as "nervous eyes". He contemplates whether to wait until they reach the lobby or not.
The repetition of the chorus highlights the singer's internal struggle with his emotions, as he contemplates letting them all out or keeping them bottled up. He wants to be vulnerable and authentic, and let the woman know how he feels about her, but he's too afraid of the potential judgment from the strangers in the elevator. The lyrics also touch on the liberating feeling of being able to open up and breathe, and how this kind of vulnerability can be life-changing.
Line by Line Meaning
Fifteen minutes to six and fourteen floors to go
It's almost six and there are fourteen more floors to get to
Thirteen suited strangers make a crowded elevator slow
There are thirteen people in the elevator and it's making it slow
And I've got a million words and phrases on the tip of my tongue
He has a lot to say but hasn't been able to find the right words yet
For the only non-stranger next to me, soon she'll know
He's sitting next to someone he knows and wants to tell them something
(let 'em stare)
Ignoring the other people in the elevator who are staring at him
If I could
Expressing a desire to do something
I think I would give in
He would tell the person next to him how he feels
And let you in on how I feel
He would share his feelings with the person next to him
I need to spill
He really wants to get these feelings off his chest
Let it all out right now
Expressing a desire to tell the person next to him everything he's feeling
And expose every inch in front of them
He wants to reveal everything to the other people in the elevator
Twelve more floors
There are twelve more floors to go
And your eyes in mine are all I need to come clean
If he can meet eyes with the person next to him, he'll be able to open up
Or should I wait until the lobby
He's deciding whether to wait until they get to the lobby to talk to the person next to him
And spare the lives of some twenty-six nervous eyes
He doesn't want to make the other people in the elevator uncomfortable
Being occupied by the little red numbers passing by?
The other people are focused on the numbers changing on the elevator display
If I wait one minute longer
He's running out of time to say what he needs to say
I think I will die
He feels like he can't hold his feelings in any longer
You help me to feel, see, and know why all the while I've been so inquisitive
The person next to him has given him a new perspective on things
I can't go back 'cause now I know
He can't unlearn what he's learned
How it feels to open up and breathe
Opening up about his feelings has made him feel better
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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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