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.
New Skin
Incubus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
infected and disastrous
It breathes chaotic catastrophe
it cries to be renewed
Its tears are the color of anger,
they dry to form a scab
To the touch, its stiff and resilient,
underneath, the new skin breathes
yes, something under the surface says,
"C'est la vie"
It is a circle, there is a plan
dead skin will atrophy itself to start again
Look closely at the open wound
see past what covers the surface
Underneath chaotic catastrophe,
creation takes stage.
Its all been saved
with exception for the right parts
When will we be new skin?
Its all been seen with exception for what could be
When will we be new skin?
Fallacious cognitions
spewed from televisions
do mold our decisions.
So stop and take a look,
and you'll see what I see now
The song New Skin by Incubus is a contemplative reflection on the cyclical nature of life, the process of growth and renewal, and the impact of external influences on our thoughts and actions. The opening lines describe an "open wound" that is "infected and disastrous," a metaphor for the chaos and upheaval that we often encounter in our lives. The wound "breathes chaotic catastrophe" and "cries to be renewed," highlighting the inherent desire for change and improvement that exists in all of us.
As the song progresses, the focus shifts to the healing process, as the wound begins to scab over and new skin begins to grow underneath. The metaphor is extended to encompass the wider world, with the lines "It is a circle, there is a plan / dead skin will atrophy itself to start again" suggesting that the entire universe operates in cycles of growth and decay. Despite the sometimes-painful nature of this process, the song ultimately takes a positive message, with the repeated refrain "When will we be new skin?" expressing a yearning for renewal and transformation.
The final verse of the song turns its attention to the influence of media and technology on our lives. The lines "Fallacious cognitions / spewed from televisions / do mold our decisions" describe the way in which our thoughts and actions can be shaped by external sources, often to our detriment. However, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the invitation to "stop and take a look" and see the world with fresh eyes, unencumbered by these influences.
Line by Line Meaning
At first I see an open wound
The singer sees a wound that is exposed and could be infected and disastrous.
infected and disastrous
The wound is infected and could cause terrible harm to the person it affects.
It breathes chaotic catastrophe
The wound is causing chaos and destruction in the singer's life.
it cries to be renewed
The wound is asking to be healed or fixed, it's in pain and wants to be made whole again.
Its tears are the color of anger,
The pain and suffering caused by the wound has made it appear angry and emotional.
they dry to form a scab
Over time, the wound becomes more resilient and starts to form a protective layer over it.
To the touch, its stiff and resilient,
On the surface, the wound looks like it's tough and is trying to heal itself.
underneath, the new skin breathes
Beneath the surface, there's new skin that's trying to regenerate and slowly heal the wound.
As outwardly cliche as it may seem,
The idea of healing from a wound may sound cliche at first glance, but there's more to it than meets the eye.
yes, something under the surface says,
There's a deeper feeling that the artist is experiencing that is telling them something important.
"C'est la vie"
This means 'that's life', and implies that the wound is just a part of the singer's experience and they need to accept it.
It is a circle, there is a plan
The process of healing and regeneration is part of a larger cycle.
dead skin will atrophy itself to start again
The dead skin around the wound will naturally break off and will lead to the start of a new healing process.
Look closely at the open wound
The singer is emphasizing that it's important to pay attention and be aware of the wound, and not ignore it.
see past what covers the surface
There's more to the wound than what's visible on the surface, so it's important to look beyond that.
Underneath chaotic catastrophe,
The artist is reiterating that there's a lot happening beneath the surface of the wound, even if it looks chaotic.
creation takes stage.
The healing process is a form of creation or rebirth that is taking place.
Its all been saved
Everything that has happened before the healing process has been saved or preserved in some way.
with exception for the right parts
The singer is acknowledging that not everything from before the healing will be saved, only what is deemed important or 'right'.
When will we be new skin?
The artist is asking when they will finally be healed and be able to start fresh again.
Its all been seen with exception for what could be
Everything that has happened so far has been seen or experienced,with the exception of what could happen in the future.
Fallacious cognitions
False beliefs or ideas that people hold on to.
spewed from televisions
The singer is referring to the media as a source of often false information that affects people's beliefs and decisions.
do mold our decisions.
The false information that people are exposed to can shape their decisions and perceptions of the world around them.
So stop and take a look,
The singer is telling the listener to take a moment and pay attention to what's happening around them.
and you'll see what I see now
The singer is urging the listener to take time to appreciate the healing process and see what they are seeing right now.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEX KATUNICH, BRANDON BOYD, BRANDON CHARLES BOYD, GAVIN KOPPEL, JOSE PASILLAS II, JOSE ANTHONY II PASILLAS, MICHAEL EINZIGER, MICHAEL AARON EINZIGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind