Just a Phase

When a rambunctious child drives their parents crazy, they offen assuage themselves by saying it's "just a phase." Well, that can apply to adults too, as we all go through phases of good times and bad. In this song, Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd explores this angle and coins a new word, Temporaryism: I think I'm on to something here Temporaryism has been the Black Plague And the Jesus of our age Boyd said the song "documents how fickle the world can be and how the only certainty that exists is that everything eventually runs it's course." He added: "Keeping this in mind and trying not to get too cynical, it points out the blessing in disguise that is 'Temporaryism' and how it can be a door that swings both ways."

The song took on a new meaning when Incubus played it as part of their Morning View Sessions concert in New York City on October 23, 2001. The city was still coping with the aftermath of the September 11 attacks; Incubus stood out as the first major band to play concerts there following the tragedy, with shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan on September 15 and 16. It became clear that going to a show was a lot healthier than bunkering down, watching the news.