Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released: September 11, 2012

Songwriter: Josh Klinghoffer Chad Smith Flea Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Rick Rubin

[Verse 1]
Magpies on fire
Making love like little wolves out on the porch
Can lead to medicine
Oh well, I'm game for anything at all

[Verse 2]
Scarecrow's a liar
Spins a yarn and no one ever checked it out
To see if it was real
Sold you the moon and now it's time to fall

[Refrain]
All along it's like a bird
Who's trapped alone inside your cage, love

[Chorus]
What more do you want?
How much more can you take?
I love my mistakes
I've been here before

[Post-Chorus 1]
All and all it's just the call
Of something wild beyond your room
There's a changing of the major chord
Your minor threat will do, love

[Verse 3]
My gun misfired
Shot myself instead
I guess I always knew
I'd be the one to lose
That screen door slams
Time to make a move

Help me

[Chorus]
What more do you want?
How much more can you take?
I love my mistakes
I've been here before

[Post-Chours 2]
All and all it's like a bird
Who's trapped alone inside your cage, love
A bird who's born to live at half your age, girl
A bird who's never really had a say

[Chorus]
What more do you want?
How much more can you take?
I love my mistakes
I've been here before

[Outro]
Least of all she's like a bird
Who's now been freed from someone's cage

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

I’m with You Sessions

From the album

I’m with You Sessions (2013)

Red Hot Chili Peppers popular songs

Magpies On FireRed Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

I’m with You Sessions