Incubus World View

Nathan Pruzaniec (Box 5078)
Christian Life & Thought (Section 03)
Mr. Steve Janssen
September 16, 2004
Paper #3

Under My Umbrella
Incubus

When I close my eyes
I can see for miles
There's comfort in my dark seat
And chaos in the aisles.

These eyes are not your eyes
And these eyes are not the color that
Your arid eyes might be.
But I was not around
When those eyes of yours decided so
I refuse to kneel before the sights you choose to see.

When I close my eyes
I remember why I smile
under my umbrella
I'm an Accomplished Exile

These eyes are not your eyes
And these eyes are not the color that
Your arid eyes might be.
But I was not around
When those eyes of yours decided
So I refuse to kneel before the sights you choose to see.

If this is right... I’d rather be wrong...
If this is sight... I’d rather be blind!


Incubus is one of the few secular bands out there that actually writes lyrics about things that matter, and they certainly are, but they can be somewhat gauche while doing it. They proudly display their world view, especially in this song. “Under My Umbrella” is a song about how they do not want to see what the world sees or believe what the world believes. They are saying that they can even see whatever they want to in the world and almost that the truth does not matter. I will discuss a few of these world views and see where the band stands in the big picture.

Starting with the first stanza, we see immediately that they are saying they can see all they want to see with their eyes closed. I feel they are trying to say that they really just imagine what is going on “for miles” rather than looking at the reality of it. They also go on to say that they are comfortable in the dark, in their blindness, whereas the rest of the world “in the aisle” is in chaos. I believe they are suggesting if everyone would just forget reality and “live a lie” basically, it would all be okay.

The chorus gets even more interesting as they go on talking about how they are now separate from the world. The band says that they do not have the same eyes as the world and their eyes are totally different from the rest. Not only do they say their eyes are different but they also comment that the world has arid eyes, or eyes that are “lacking vitality or imagination; sterile” as defined by Webster’s. Then, they go on to say since they were not in on the decision, or “not around”, when the world decided to see things the way they do, that they will not believe the same way.

Finally, the third stanza says that when they just imagine what is happening, they “remember why [they] smile”, meaning this is the only place they are happy. Maybe they mean the world is filled with nothing but pain and sorrow and this is the only escape. They also say that they are accomplished exiles. I think by that they mean they are somebody important in their own little world, that in their imagination they can be whatever they want to be. Then the bridge says these very distinct words, “If this is right, I’d rather be wrong. If this is sight, I’d rather be blind.” Right there I see that they really want no part of what the world is about or what they believe; they want to be completely set apart.

Now we have seen all the points and beliefs the band has made and I think they can all be categorized under one main point. They believe that the world is wrong, and that reality is whatever you want it to be. This belief probably goes deep into their life experience but I think this belief can easily be traced to another song of theirs. “Pardon Me” is a song they wrote two years earlier says, “I’ve had enough of the world, and these people’s mindless games.” Later in the song, they go on to say that they basically want to get out of this world. I would say this world view comes from their past experiences and that they are just looking for ways to separate from the world.

I think the obvious question here is; what is reality? Can we just separate ourselves from the world and believe whatever we want about it? I think the band has half the picture there but the other half is a little off. The Bible does tell us in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (BBE)” So the Bible tells us to separate ourselves from the world. I believe God does want us to be totally different from the world and not to get mixed in but I also believe that God wants us to realize the reality of the world around us. He wants us to see this because if we don’t than we will live as if everything is perfect and not realize the lost souls around us. The band also said that they could be whatever they want to be but the Bible also tells us that we should live God’s perfect plan for our life and not our own.

Incubus definitely has a very unique world view with a very specific focus and if you get rid of all the codswallop, it is not completely ridiculous. I do think that their desire to be free from the world is probably not for the same reasons as the Bible gives us but it does set them in the right direction. They need an obvious change of purpose for their lives and a reality check. They need to see the corruption in the world and rather than completely hide from it, try to make an indefinite impact. The position they are in gives them the potential and ability to shape the world into what it should be. Incubus could easily change the world view of thousands, as I’m sure they already have, but this time to one that honors God. Then it would be a reality even they could smile about.