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.
Switchblade
Incubus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The girl in the black hat
The girl in the black hat.
I can't find any shade but
I'll be swayed as long as
I got a switchblade.
The girl in the thigh highs
The girl in the thing highs.
With irises of jade are built
To persuade and they're
Swift like a switchblade.
Switchblade, switchblade
They're swift like a switchblade
Switchblade
Nobody wears it like you anymore
Nobody wears it like you anymore
Light like a feather
Bright like a dying star.
Cut those together
Girl that is what you are.
Wild eyes forever
Built to punish and persuade.
I like together
But all I got was a switchblade.
Switchblade
So just gimme the facts
Who's the girl in the black hat
The girl in the black hat.
I can't find any shade but
I'll be swayed as long as
I've got a switchblade.
I think I'm getting a rise
On all her American thighs
Her American thighs.
She got her black hat
And irises of jade
And I got a switchblade.
Switchblade
Yes I've got a switchblade
Nobody wears it like you anymore
Nobody wears it like you anymore
Light like a feather
Bright like a dying star.
Cut those together
Girl that is what you are.
Wild eyes forever
Built to punish and persuade.
I like together
But all I got was a switchblade.
Switchblade
Nobody wears it like you anymore
Nobody wears it like you
I keep getting attacked by
The girl in the black hat
The girl in the black hat.
I can't find any shade but
I'll be swayed as long as
I got a switchblade.
Switchblade
Light like a feather
Bright like a dying star.
Cut those together
Girl that is what you are.
Wild eyes forever
Built to punish and persuade.
I like together
But all I got was a switchblade.
Yes I got a switchblade
Light like a feather
Bright like a dying star.
Cut those together
Girl that is what you are.
Wild eyes forever
Built to punish and persuade.
The lyrics to Incubus's song Switchblade appears to tell the story of a young man who keeps getting attacked and seduced by a mysterious girl who wears a black hat and thigh highs. He admires her eyes of jade, her wild eyes that are built both to punish and persuade. He indicates that he likes it together with her but all he has is a switchblade. The switchblade seems to be a symbol for something else within the context of the song. It appears like a means of protection or defense that he carries and relies on in the face of all his encounters with this mysterious girl.
The lyrics seem to describe a complex relationship between the singer and the girl in the black hat. Her beauty has hypnotized him and made him feel like he cannot find any shade except by relying on his switchblade. The lyrics suggest that the girl is dangerous and that the singer is drawn to her despite the risks involved.
One interpretation of the lyrics could be that the girl represents a sort of addiction that the singer cannot resist. The switchblade could represent his defense mechanism, as he uses it to cut himself away from the girl's influence. However, despite his efforts, he still feels drawn towards her and powerless to resist her charms.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep getting attacked by
The girl in the black hat
The girl in the black hat.
The singer is being repeatedly assaulted by the girl in the black hat.
I can't find any shade but
I'll be swayed as long as
I got a switchblade.
The singer is searching for respite from the girl's attacks, but has found that wielding a switchblade makes them feel more secure.
I keep getting the eye from
The girl in the thigh highs
The girl in the thing highs.
With irises of jade are built
To persuade and they're
Swift like a switchblade.
The girl's suggestive glances are potent and weapon-like, as if aimed with the swift precision of a switchblade.
Switchblade, switchblade
They're swift like a switchblade
Switchblade
Repetition of the weapon imagery, emphasizing the girl's dangerous allure.
Nobody wears it like you anymore
Nobody wears it like you anymore
The girl is unique - there is no one like her, and no one who can rival her in her ability to elicit both desire and fear.
Light like a feather
Bright like a dying star.
Cut those together
Girl that is what you are.
Wild eyes forever
Built to punish and persuade.
The girl is ethereal yet fierce, beautiful yet dangerous, with an unshakeable intensity.
I think I'm getting a rise
On all her American thighs
Her American thighs.
She got her black hat
And irises of jade
And I got a switchblade.
Switchblade
Yes I've got a switchblade
The singer is drawn to the girl's sexuality, symbolized by her thighs, and is both captivated and threatened by her. They rely on their switchblade to feel in control.
So just gimme the facts
Who's the girl in the black hat
The girl in the black hat.
I can't find any shade but
I'll be swayed as long as
I've got a switchblade.
The artist wants to know more about the girl in order to assess the risk she poses, but acknowledges that the switchblade has become a necessary tool for their sense of safety.
Nobody wears it like you
Light like a feather
Bright like a dying star.
Cut those together
Girl that is what you are.
Wild eyes forever
Built to punish and persuade.
I like together
But all I got was a switchblade.
Switchblade
Reiteration that the girl is one-of-a-kind, both captivating and dangerous, with her eyes as weapons. The artist laments that they hoped for something more substantial from their interactions with her, but in the end, all they have is their switchblade.
Light like a feather
Bright like a dying star.
Cut those together
Girl that is what you are.
Wild eyes forever
Built to punish and persuade.
Yes I got a switchblade
Final repetition of the girl's otherworldly beauty and fierce charisma, ending with the artist's statement of ownership of the switchblade that has become inextricably linked to their experience with her.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Benjamin Lee Kenney, Brandon Charles Boyd, Christopher E Kilmore, Jose Anthony Ii Pasillas, Michael Aaron Einziger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind