Pardon Me

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This article is about the Incubus song. For the Weezer song, see Make Believe (Weezer album).
"Pardon Me"
Incubuspardonme.jpg
Single by Incubus
from the album Make Yourself
ReleasedFebruary 22, 2000
RecordedMay - June 1999 in Los Angeles, California
GenreNu metal[1]
Length3:44
LabelEpic, Immortal
Songwriter(s)Incubus
Producer(s)Scott Litt
Incubus singles chronology
"New Skin"
(1998) 		"Pardon Me"
(2000) 		"Stellar"
(2000)

"Pardon Me" is a song by American rock band Incubus. It was released in February 2000 as the lead single from their third album Make Yourself. It was the first Incubus song to receive a considerable amount of radio airplay, reaching number three on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number seven on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 2 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[2][3]

Background and writing[]

In an interview, lead singer Brandon Boyd explains of the song's origins, "I was in a bookstore, browsing through an old Life magazine, when I saw a picture of what the article called spontaneous human combustion. There were an old guy's legs and shoes, perfectly intact - then, right around his knee area, was just a pile of charred ashes. I was going through some turmoil in my life, both good and bad, and the image struck a chord, so I wrote a song about it."[4] Boyd had recently returned from a tour to find out that his girlfriend of 7 years had been cheating on him, and that both his grandmother and a close friend of his had died. After seeing a picture in Life magazine of a man who had spontaneously combusted, he related the man's problems to his own and was inspired to write the lyric "Pardon me while I burst into flames" on his hand.

Structure and style[]

The song describes a state of confusion, with allusions to spontaneous combustion.

Musically, the song combines fast-paced, ambient verses with prominent turntable scratching, in place of a guitar solo, by DJ Kilmore and a hard-rocking mid-tempo chorus. However, the acoustic version of the song is also well regarded by fans, and helped the song become a radio hit. Initial radio reception was lukewarm, so Boyd and guitarist Mike Einziger decided to perform the song acoustically at several radio stations that had been playing the song, including KROQ-FM, and this acoustic version grabbed the attention of radio programmers and listeners. An acoustic version of the song was released on the When Incubus Attacks Volume 1 EP.

Music video[]

The music video for "Pardon Me" was directed by Steven Murashige and also gained considerable airplay. The video begins with Brandon Boyd and his father, at opposite ends of a hallway. As the two approach each other, Boyd's father begins to regress in age and appearance, while the younger clone begins to grow more elderly, becoming more and more alike as they advance toward each other. When they meet, they pass through each other and continue on in opposite directions. Footage of the band members in white outfits (except for Boyd, who is shirtless) in a red-colored box are also shown, as is footage of the band members in red outfits being surrounded by businessmen and businesswomen.

Track listing[]

US single
  1. "Pardon Me" (Album Version)
  2. "Crowded Elevator"
  3. "Pardon Me" (Acoustic)
  4. "Drive" (Acoustic)
US promotional single
  1. "Pardon Me" (Acoustic)
UK single
  1. "Pardon Me" (Album Version)
  2. "I Miss You" (Acoustic)
  3. "Crowded Elevator"

In popular culture[]

"Pardon Me" were released as downloadable content for Rock Band 3. The song was played during the credits of an episode from the fourth season of Daria. The song was also featured in the film Little Nicky starring Adam Sandler.[5]

It was also used in the Newgrounds classic game Pick the Path,[6] where it is the only song Fiore, the main character, will listen to.

Charts[]

Chart (2000) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[7] 86
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 61
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[9] 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[10] 7
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[11] 2

Personnel[]

Incubus
Production

References[]

  1. ^ Shumka, Dave. "10 nu metal songs that still hold up on CBC music". CBC Music. (February 14th, 2013)
  2. ^ https://www.billboard.com/charts/bubbling-under-hot-100-singles/2000-05-12
  3. ^ "Incubus". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  4. ^ "A Deep Dive Into Incubus' Pardon Me Video". Kerrang!. Wasted Talent Ltd. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "Little Nicky (2000)". IMDb. 22 Feb 2017.
  6. ^ "Pick the Path". Newgrounds. 1 Jan 2001.
  7. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  8. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "Incubus Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "Incubus Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  11. ^ "Incubus Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2021.

External links[]

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