Songfacts®:

• This psychedelic soul stomper is lyrically enigmatic. It is not made clear from what or who the narrator is warning us that we should run from, though it has been suggested it is a warning about drug-taking.
• The mind-bending video was directed by Happy, who are Guy Shelmerdane and Richard Farmer, a duo who have directed a diverse collection of commercials, short films and music videos. On their website, Gnarls Barkley described the promo's concept as "an imaginary early '90s public access show called City Vibin'."
• Justin Timberlake guested in the video as a geeky host for a fictional dance show.
• The video was pulled from MTV after failing the Harding Test, (guidelines to help prevent seizures in TV viewers). The clip featured dizzying special effects such as strobing, criss-crossing and interweaving black and white patterns. An apparently unconcerned Danger Mouse told Billboard magazine. "I think [the video] is cool. It works for me. But I'm not necessarily that easily seasick." The band later toned down the video enabling MTV to screen the clip.
• This features a sample of "Junior Jet Set" from Keith Mansfield. The 1960s British composer/arranger created many prominent British TV theme tunes, such as the Grandstand theme for the BBC. Additionally, Mansfield did the arrangements for two UK chart-toppers, Love Affair's 1968 version of "Everlasting Love" and The Marmalade's 1969 cover of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." Gnarls Barkley also sampled him on their 2006 single "Who Cares?"