This is one of the few songs that truly caused people’s jaws to drop when it was released in 1988. And it’s retained every bit of its potency over the years, helping the members of Living Colour earn their reputations as funk-metal pioneers.
“I’ve been everything you want to be …”
How awesome is that lyric?
“Cult of Personality” won the 1989 Grammy for Best Hard Rock performance, and Living Colour performed their hit on Saturday Night Live that year … a show that was hosted by Mel Gibson (talk about irony).
Enjoy …
LIVING COLOUR: “CULT OF PERSONALITY”
Look into my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I’ve been everything you want to be
I’m the cult of personality
Like Mussolini and kennedy
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality
Neon lights, Nobel prize
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face on your t.v.
I’m the cult of personality
I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I’m the cult of personality
Like Josef Stalin and Gandhi
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality
Neon lights, Nobel prize
When a leader speaks, that leader dies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set you free
You gave me fortune
You gave me fame
You me power in your god’s name
I’m every person you need to be
I’m the cult of personality
Look into my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I’ve been everything you want to be
I’m the cult of personality
Like mussolini and kennedy
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality
Neon lights, a nobel prize
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face on your t.v.
I’m the cult of personality
I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I’m the cult of personality
Like joseph stalin and gandi
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality
Neon lights a nobel prize
A leader speaks, that leader dies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set you free
You gave me fortune
You gave me fame
You me power in your god’s name
I’m every person you need to be
I’m the cult of personality
PREVIOUSLY …
The Afghan Whigs – “Gentleman”
All-American Rejects – “Swing, Swing”
Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”
Beck – “Loser”
The Black Crowes – “Wiser Time”
B.O.B. – “Nothing On You”
The Cars – “Let’s Go”
Coolio – “Fantastic Voyage”
Cypress Hill – “Rock Superstar”
The Cure – “Burn”
Death Cab For Cute – “Expo 86?
Billy Ward & The Dominoes – “Sixty Minute Man”
Elvis Costello – “Every Day I Write The Book”
Eminem (ft. Rihanna) – “Love The Way You Lie”
Filter – “One (Cover)”
Ben Folds Five – “Rockin’ The Suburbs”
Foo Fighters – “Times Like These”
Foo Fighters – “My Hero”
The Fray – “The Great Beyond (Cover)”
Ice Cube – “It Was A Good Day”
James – “Born of Frustration (Live)”
Janet Jackson – “When I Think Of You”
Joy Division – “New Dawn Fades”
Kesha- “Your Love Is My Drug”
Katie Melua - “Just Like Heaven (Cover)”
The Killers – “Shadowplay (Cover)”
The Killers – “Sweet Talk”
Lady Ga Ga/ Beyonce – “Telephone”
Led Zeppelin – “Your Time Is Gonna Come/ Black Mountain Side”
Led Zeppelin – “Misty Mountain Hop”
Led Zeppelin – “Thank You”
LL Cool J – “Mama Said Knock You Out”
Bob Marley – “One Love”
Sarah McLachlan – “Building A Mystery”
Metric – “Help I’m Alive”
M.I.A. – “Paper Planes”
Midnight Oil – “Dreamworld”
Monster Magnet – “Negasonic Teenage Warhead”
The National – “All The Wine”
Naughty By Nature – “O.P.P.”
Nena – “99 Luftballoons”
New Order – “Regret”
Nine Inch Nails – “Piggy”
Nine Inch Nails – “Hand That Feeds”
Nirvana – “Rape Me”
One Republic – “All The Right Moves”
The Outfield – “I Don’t Need Her”
Outkast – “Rosa Parks”
Outkast – “Gasoline Dreams”
Owl City – “Hot Air Balloon”
Parliament-Funkadelic – “Give Up The Funk”
Panic At The Disco! – “Karma Police” (Cover)
Paramore – “The Only Exception”
Pavement – “Range Life”
Pearl Jam – “Alive”
Tom Petty – “The Waiting”
Pretenders – “Back On The Chain Gang”
Queen – “Somebody To Love”
R.E.M. – “These Days”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Geek, U.S.A.”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Age Of Innocence”
The Smiths – “Headmaster Ritual”
Soul Asylum – “Somebody To Shove”
Soundgarden – “Outshined”
The Spin Doctors – “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”
Sting – “Fortress Around Your Heart”
Teenage Fanclub – “Hang On”
TV Heart Attack – “AO”
Twilight Singers – “The Twilite Kid”
U2 – “Until The End Of The World”
U2 – “Where The Streets Have No Name”
The Verve – “Lucky Man”
The Waitresses – “I Know What Boys Like”
Weezer – “Put Me Back Together”
The Who – “Baba O’Riley”
Stevie Wonder – “I Believe (When I Fall In Love This Time It Will Last Forever)”
Wu-Tang Clan – “C.R.E.A.M.”
Yeasayer – “Ambling Alp”
***
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By OhNoNotAgain December 15, 2010 at 11:34 am
How ’80s.