Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released: July 9, 2002

Songwriter: Flea John Frusciante Chad Smith Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Rick Rubin

[Verse 1]
I've got myself in a masochistic hold
Why don't you let go?
Shake it off just to redirect my flow
Come on, let's go
Sit up straight, I'm on a double date
I've got to find my way into the light, heavy, middleweight
We don't stop rock around the clock
Motor-mouthing off in front of every other road block

[Pre-Chorus]
Come again and tell me
What you're going through
Like a girl who only knew
Her child was due

[Chorus]
Memories of everything of lemon trees on Mercury and
Come to me with remedies from five or six of seven seas and
You always took me with a smile when I was down
Memories of everything that blew through

[Verse 2]
Looking up into a reverse vertigo
What an undertow
Give it up, another stubborn Scorpio
Come on, let's go
Sit up straight, I'm on a double date
I've got to find my way into the light, heavy, middleweight
We don't stop, rock around the clock
Motor-mouthing off in front of every other road block

[Pre-Chorus]
Come again and tell me
What you're going through
Like a girl who only knew
Her child was due
To the moon she gave
Another good review
Turn around and look at me
It's really, really you

[Chorus]
Memories of everything of lemon trees on Mercury and
Come to me with remedies from five or six of seven seas and
You always took me with a smile when I was down
Memories of everything that blew through

[Bridge]
Sit up straight, I'm on a double date
I've got to find my way into the light, heavy, middleweight
We don't stop, rock around the clock
Motor-mouthing off in front of every other road block

[Chorus]
Memories of everything of lemon trees on Mercury and
Come to me with remedies from five or six of seven seas and
You always took me with a smile when I was down
Memories of everything that blew through
Memories of everything of lemon trees on Mercury and
Come to me with remedies from five or six of seven seas and
You always took me with a smile when I was down
Memories of everything that blew through

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a rock band based in Los Angeles, CA that incorporates elements of rap, funk, punk, and rock into their work, mainly classified as an alternative rock band. They made it mainstream off the success of their 1991’s fifth studio album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, led by singles “Give it Away” and “Under the Bridge.” After losing guitarist John Frusciante and losing popularity following the release of the less successful One Hot Minute, the band reunited for 1999’s Californication. The title track and hit singles “Around the World,” “Scar Tissue” and “Otherside” propelled them back to the fame. After 2002’s solid release By the Way and 2006’s double-disc Stadium Arcadium, Frusciante once again left the band to further pursue his solo career. The band added Josh Klinghoffer to help fill his void, and released I’m With You in 2011.

In December 2019, the band announced via Instagram that Klinghoffer had left after 10 years, and Frusciante would be rejoining.

Their lyrical content was mostly centered around sex, drugs, and the Los Angeles lifestyle, and lead singer Anthony Kiedis mostly rapped them as he wasn’t confident as vocalist. Most members of the band also suffered from drug addiction, as Kiedis and Frusciante had to check themselves into rehab for heroin addiction at various points in their lives. But Californication marked a change in the band’s content matter and lifestyle. The band was sober for the most part, and the lyrics had shifted to songs about love and the pains of addiction, the title even criticized the city they loved so much. In addition, Kiedis had started to sing his lyrics much more often as he finally felt comfortable with his voice. That change has allowed the band to stick around for over 20 years despite multiple changes to their lineup and is part of why they remain relevant.

more tracks from the album

By the Way

From the albums

By the Way (2002)
By the Way (Deluxe Version) (2002)

Red Hot Chili Peppers popular songs

On MercuryRed Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

By the Way