Megalomania

Megalomania is a psychopathological condition characterized by fantasies of power, relevance, omnipotence, and by inflated self-esteem. Historically it was used as a name for narcissistic personality disorder prior to the latter's first use by Heinz Kohut in 1968, and is used today as a non-clinical equivalent. It is not mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD).

Etymology

The word megalomania is derived from the Greek μεγαλο- megalo- "large, great", and μανία mania "madness, frenzy". Its first attested use in English occurred in 1890, as a translation of the French mégalomanie.

Early Freudianism

Sigmund Freud commented of the adult neurotic's sense of omnipotence that “this belief is a frank acknowledgement of a relic of the old megalomania of infancy”. He similarly concluded that “we can detect an element of megalomania in most other forms of paranoic disorder. We are justified in assuming that this megalomania is essentially of an infantile nature and that, as development proceeds, it is sacrificed to social considerations”.

Megalomaniac (KMFDM song)

"Megalomaniac" is a song by industrial rock band KMFDM from the album commonly referred to as Symbols. It was released in various forms in late 1997 and early 1998. A 7" vinyl version was released in 2009.

The song was also used in the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation in the credits and in the 1998 racing video game Test Drive 5.

Track listings

All songs composed by KMFDM.

Megalomaniac Remixes (1997)

This version was also split into two separate records, with two songs on each.

MDFMK (1998)

7" reissue (2009)

References

Megalomaniac (Incubus song)

"Megalomaniac" is a song by the American rock band Incubus, from their 2004 album A Crow Left of the Murder... It was released as a single in December of 2003, and eventually reached the top of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks, where it stayed for a six-week period.

Composition

The song begins with a cyclic, scratchy warble that lasts about 30 seconds (not present in the radio edit) before fading into a more conventional introduction. The entire buildup lasts about one minute in all before climaxing into a heavy rock riff, with distorted electric guitars and bass, before going into the first verse. The song alternates between more mellow mood of the verses and the driving rock feel of the chorus, also managing to incorporate a bridge in the key of Dm, in contrast to the rest of the song, which is in Gm.

Lyrical interpretations

Lead singer Brandon Boyd says the song is not specifically targeting anybody - the song's meaning pertains to megalomaniacs in general with a particular emphasis on El Guapo from the American comedy film Three Amigos.