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Talk Shows on Mute

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"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
SongwritersBrandon Boyd, Mike Einziger, Ben Kenney, Chris Kilmore, José Pasillas
ProducerBrendan O'Brien
Incubus singles chronology
"Megalomaniac"
(2003) 		"Talk Shows on Mute"
(2004) 		"Make a Move"
(2005)

"Talk Shows on Mute" is a song by the American alternative rock band Incubus. Released as the second single from the band's 2004 album, A Crow Left of the Murder..., it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, No. 18 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and No. 16 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Background

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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."[citation needed]

Music video

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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

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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

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Chart performance for "Talk Shows on Mute"
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[1] 42
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[2] 24
Scotland Singles (OCC)[3] 54
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 43
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[5] 4
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[6] 16
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[7] 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[8] 18

References

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  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 Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  4. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  6. ^ "Incubus Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  7. ^ "Incubus Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  8. ^ "Incubus Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
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