Pardon Me

When Pardon Me burst onto the scene, it marked a turning point for Incubus. It was their first single that truly resonated on the radio, reaching number three on the *Billboard Modern Rock Tracks* chart and number seven on *Mainstream Rock Tracks*. The song, released on October 5, 1999, came from their third studio album, Make Yourself. The inspiration behind the lyrics, as vocalist Brandon Boyd recounted, stemmed from a striking image he saw in an old *Life* magazine: that of a person who, according to the article, had suffered spontaneous combustion. The scene showed intact legs and shoes, but just at knee height, only a pile of ashes remained. At that time, Boyd was going through a period of great personal turmoil, dealing with a seven-year romantic breakup and the loss of his grandmother and a close friend. The image of spontaneous combustion struck him as a powerful metaphor to connect with his own state of confusion and grief.

Musically, Pardon Me is characterized by interesting dynamics, alternating verses with a faster, atmospheric rhythm, adorned with distinctive DJ scratching, with a mid-tempo rock chorus. The music video, directed by Steven Murashige, also received significant rotation. In it, Brandon Boyd and his father, Charles, are seen walking towards each other down a hallway. As they approach, the father rejuvenates and Brandon ages, becoming increasingly alike. Upon meeting, they pass through each other and continue on their separate paths. The clip also shows the band members dressed in white (except for Boyd, who appears shirtless) in a red box, and other scenes with them in red, surrounded by businessmen and women. The video premiered the week of January 16, 2000. This track, along with Stellar and Drive, were the three singles that propelled the album Make Yourself, which went platinum. This album was also the first to feature the new turntablist, Chris Kilmore, who joined the band in February 1998.