Imagine your brain as a canister filled with ink,
yeah, now think of your body as the pen where the ink resides.
Fuse the two; KAPOW! What are you now?
You're the human magic marker, won't you please surprise my eyes?!
It's in your nature, you can paint whatever picture you like.
no matter what Ted Koppel says on channel 4 tonight.
So modify this third rock from the sun,
by painting myriads of pictures with the colors of one.
I'm sick of painting in black and white
my pen is dry, now I'm uptight.
So sick of limiting myself to fit your definition.
Picture the scene, where whatever you thought,
would, in the blink of an eye, manifest and become illustrated.
You'd be sure man that every line drawn reflected a life that you loved not an existence that you hated.
So, must we demonstrate that we can't get it straight?
We've painted a picture, now we're drowning in the paint.
Let's figure out what the fuck it's about,
before the picture we painted chews us up and spits us out.
I'm sick of painting in black and white
my pen is dry, now I'm uptight.
So sick of limiting myself to fit your definition.
Redefine.
yeah, now think of your body as the pen where the ink resides.
Fuse the two; KAPOW! What are you now?
You're the human magic marker, won't you please surprise my eyes?!
It's in your nature, you can paint whatever picture you like.
no matter what Ted Koppel says on channel 4 tonight.
So modify this third rock from the sun,
by painting myriads of pictures with the colors of one.
I'm sick of painting in black and white
my pen is dry, now I'm uptight.
So sick of limiting myself to fit your definition.
Picture the scene, where whatever you thought,
would, in the blink of an eye, manifest and become illustrated.
You'd be sure man that every line drawn reflected a life that you loved not an existence that you hated.
So, must we demonstrate that we can't get it straight?
We've painted a picture, now we're drowning in the paint.
Let's figure out what the fuck it's about,
before the picture we painted chews us up and spits us out.
I'm sick of painting in black and white
my pen is dry, now I'm uptight.
So sick of limiting myself to fit your definition.
Redefine.
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
this song basically means to be yourself, to define yourself. dont give in to others when they try to make you something you are not.
no heavy no good, awesome way to put it, and i agree with you totally. it's exactly like hey 'set yourself apart from everyone else, make yourself, dont let others make you'
Heh, it's pretty ironic that they would choose to write a song about not being what other people want them to be. Considering that after they came out with this brilliant album and immediately cashed in their talent by changing their style conforming to that whiny college boy "rock" that record companies are tyring so hard to promote these days.
JimBobJoe, I think some of their music also sounds a little different because they have a different DJ. But hmm I am not disagreeing with you.
i love the human magic marker metaphor. i think this song is just what noheavynogood said - and the last 2 lines totally sum it up "So sick of limiting myself to fit your definition. Redefine"
Jimbobjoe.... yah their style changed. But trace it all the way through Fungus Among Us and Enjoy Incubus up to Morning View... they kept changing. It's called evolving. Maybe, just maybe, where they were when they made Make Yourself just happened to match up with pop culture. Fear not though, things will change and soon Incubus will go out again. Who says a band has to be hated by the masses to be good or to not be sellouts???
I absoulty love this song. the meaning is so true, don't let others define who you are and how you act. i think this line is incredible >>I'm sick of painting in black and white my pen is dry, now I'm uptight. So sick of limiting myself to fit your definition.
I agree with everyone here, its about being yourself and not going by other peoples expectations, and Incubus has not sold out, theya re still a great band they have just changed there sound, they still play stuff from SCIENCE at the concerts so its all good! quit whinning, i would like to hear more science-y sounding stuff too, but its mroe than likely not going to happen they have evolved.
actually i agree w/ jimbobjoe if he's talking about morning view, it really wasn't one of their better albums. I also went to one of their (recent) concerts and they only played one song from SCIENCE...it was sad.
their most recent concert they played about 5 or 6 cience songs (it was great!) this is a great song.hey their music is still wonderfully written and performed, nothing is wrong with what theyre coming up with now the only thing i have to agree with is that IT SOUNDS DIFFERENT its not as heavy or funky as it was before.. INCUBUS IS AND WAS ALWAYS A GREAT BAND! ah, did I mention that this song is great?!