Wayne Coyne has repeatedly stated that the song does not directly refer to George W. Bush, as members of the media have speculated, but serves as a general statement about abuse of power.

Coyne summarized his intended interpretation to the band's audience at the Austin City Limits Music Festival that "Power is like money.

The song was also used in the trailer for the film Moving McAllister, as well as the movie I Love You, Man, and the pilot for the Fox show Sons of Tucson.

In the first, Asian women forcibly tape hamburgers to a businessman and then he is let loose, chased by several shirtless obese men and watched by amused but non-interfering police officers played by Flaming Lips members Michael Ivins, Steven Drozd and Kliph Scurlock.

In the third segment, frontman Wayne Coyne - who portrays a ruthless leader - has raw steaks and some lengths of intestine stapled to him and gets chased by a werewolf.