Idiot Box

Incubus's song 'Idiot Box' is a powerful critique of the pervasive influence of television and media on individual thought and autonomy. The lyrics express a strong desire to break free from the mental constraints imposed by the constant stream of information and entertainment that television provides. The opening lines, 'You keep your riches and I'll sew my stitches / You can't make me think like you, mundane,' set the tone for the song's rebellious stance against conformist thinking and the superficial values often propagated by media.

The chorus, 'T.V., what do I need? / Tell me who to believe! / What's the use of autonomy / When a button does it all?' highlights the passive consumption of information and the erosion of personal autonomy. The song questions the purpose of autonomy when people are so easily influenced by what they see on television. This sentiment is further emphasized in the lines, 'T.V., what should I see? / Tell me who should I be?' which underscore the loss of individual identity in the face of media manipulation.

The song also calls for a collective awakening and a return to creativity and independent thought. The lines, 'It's time to step away from cable train / And when we finally see the subtle light / This quirk in evolution will begin / To let us live and recreate, create again,' suggest that breaking free from the 'idiot box' will lead to a renaissance of creativity and genuine living. The imagery of planting a bomb in the 'idiot box' symbolizes a radical rejection of the passive consumption of media and a call to reclaim one's mind and life from its influence.