Talk Shows on Mute

"Talk Shows on Mute" is a song by the American alternative rock band Incubus. It was released as the second single from the band's 2004 album, A Crow Left of the Murder..., and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #18 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and also peaked at number 16 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

"Talk Shows on Mute"
Single by Incubus
from the album A Crow Left of the Murder...
Released2004
RecordedOctober—November 2003
StudioSouthern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, Georgia
Genre
Length3:52
LabelEpic/Immortal
Songwriter(s)Brandon Boyd, Mike Einziger, Ben Kenney, Chris Kilmore, José Pasillas
Producer(s)Brendan O'Brien
Incubus singles chronology
"Megalomaniac"
(2003)		 "Talk Shows on Mute"
(2004)		 "Agoraphobia"
(2004)

Background

The song has a mellow and stripped-down sound, with lyrics containing references to George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Lead singer Brandon Boyd says the inspiration for the song came to him while watching a talk show on an airplane.

"I was on an airplane when a talk show began playing on the TVs. I decided to start narrating for the people, which is a really great game if you're ever bored enough. I realized a time will probably come when television will watch us if we're watching it, if that hasn't already happened, figuratively or literally. It sounded like some sort of pseudo-Big Brother nightmare, so I wrote it down."

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi, who also directed the band's "Megalomaniac" video. The video alludes to another George Orwell novel, Animal Farm. It depicts a world where animals have taken over, and the members of Incubus are shown on a talk show demonstrating "stupid human trix".

Track listing

US/EU CD Single

  1. Talk Shows On Mute
  2. Wish You Were Here (Live In Osaka, Japan)
  3. Talk Shows On Mute (Live In Osaka, Japan)
  4. Hello - BBC Radio 1 Version

Yellow 7"

  • Side A
  1. Talk Shows On Mute
  2. Here In My Room - BBC Radio 1 Version
  • Side B
  1. Vitamin - Live "Bootleg" Version - Osaka, Japan
  2. Hello - Live "Bootleg" Version - Osaka, Japan

Charts
Charts (2004) Peak
Position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[1] 42
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[2] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[3] 43
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[4] 16
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[5] 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[6] 18

References


  1. "Incubus – Talk Shows on Mute" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  2. "Incubus – Talk Shows on Mute". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  3. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  4. "Incubus Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  5. "Incubus Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  6. "Incubus Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
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