Released: July 23, 2013

Songwriter: Chad Smith Flea Josh Klinghoffer Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Rick Rubin

[Verse 1]
So we were down in Brazil and, man, that place is wild
We were in Rio de Janeiro, and uh, we had this, this sort of, uh, security-guard type guy and he was supposed to take us around
I said "Hey, could, you know, could you take us to the, the favelas and show us the prostitution, and the drug deals, and the night fights, and the you know, the street life of your town?"
And he said "Sure." So we, we pull up to this hooker and she's wearing some kind of a, a bright green miniskirt, and it turns out it's a transsexual
And he says "Get over here!" And she comes over and she thinks she's busted, but she's not busted. Naw, she's not busted, he just wanted to smack her on the ass a few times and say, "Hey, what's up, girl?"

[Chorus]
Get out of bed and I clear up my head and
I don't want to go but I do it instead
We are dreams within a dream
Get into bed and I turn off my head
And I started to float, was it something she said?
We're all dreams within a dream

[Verse 2]
So I remember we got our driver's license, and my friend Hillel had this little Datsun painted green, and...
Hollywood would get so crazy in the winter. The rains would come and the hills would just kind of melt down into the city lights
And, well, you know, we'd smoke weed and we'd go up in the hills, and we'd listen to progressive rock music, and just kind of trip out and... Well, we would dream, you know. We would dream, and we would talk about what we wanted to do, and we would talk about girls and music. And, you know, Hillel wanted to be a rock star, and I didn't even know what that was. I was like, "Whatever you want to do, man, I'm coming with you, I'm right with you my friend."

[Chorus]
Get out of bed and I clear up my head and
I don't want to go but I do it instead
We are dreams within a dream
Get into bed and I turn off my head
And I started to float, was it something she said?
We're all dreams within a dream

[Verse 3]
Why in the world would you want it to be?
Why would you want to take it so, so literally?
All these things that come down from the sky, raining upon your head, make you stop and wonder why, ah!
Can't they just spell it out, make it clear, make it easy to read for the simple man like me? I don't think so
I reach out to my family and I say, "It's not about religion and the God sitting in a chair in the sky with a punishing hand, no, it's about heaven in your heart."
Now when can we start?
I wanna choose love instead of fear, won't you come right now, over here, and be a part of my, ah...
Let me make it easier this time, I love you

Red Hot Chili Peppers

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.