Red Hot Chili Peppers

Songwriter: Flea Chad Smith John Frusciante Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Michael Beinhorn

[Verse 1: Anthony Kiedis & John Frusciante]
Never too soon to be through
Bein' cool too much, too soon
Too much for me, too much for you
You're gonna lose in time
Every turn lookin' to burn
Some never learn, live and learn
Stop your searchin' for a curse
Before you end up in a hearse
Don't be afraid to show your friends that you hurt inside, inside
Pain's part of life, don't hide behind your false pride
It's a lie, your lie
Don't slip away and don't forget
I'll give you more than you can get
It's so lonely when you don't even know yourself
Come to me

[Chorus: Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante & Vicki Calhoun]
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high
Knock me down
I'm not bigger than life
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high (Ooh)
Knock me down (Knock me down)
I'm not bigger than life

[Verse 2: Anthony Kiedis & John Frusciante]
I'm tired of bein' untouchable
I'm not above the love
I'm part of you, and you're part of me
Why did you go away?
Too late to tell you how I feel
I want you back, but I get real
Can you hear my fallin' tears
Makin' rain where you lay?
Findin' what you're lookin' for can end up bein', bein' such a bore
I pray for you, most every day
My love's with you, now fly away

[Chorus 2: Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, & Vicki Calhoun]
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high
Knock me down
I'm not bigger than life
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high (Ooh)
Knock me down (Knock me down)
I'm not bigger than life

[Chorus 3: Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, & Vicki Calhoun]
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high
Knock me down
I'm not bigger than life
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high (Ooh)
Knock me down (Knock me down)
I'm not bigger than life
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high (Knock me, knock me, knock me)
Knock me down (Knock me down)
I'm not bigger than life
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high (Knock me, knock me, knock me)
Knock me down (Knock me down)
I'm not bigger than life
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high
Knock me down
I'm not bigger than life
If you see me gettin' mighty, if you see me gettin' high
Knock me down
I'm not bigger than life

[Break: Vicki Calhoun]
Aah-aah-aah-aah-aah, hey, aah-aah-aah-aah, yeah, yeah
Aah-aah-aah-aah-aah, hey, aah-aah-aah-aah, yeah, yeah

[Outro: John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, & Vicki Calhoun]
It's so lonely when you don't even know yourself (Aah-aah, oh, oh, oh, hey, yeah)
It's so lonely
It's so lonely when you don't even know yourself (Oh, oh, oh-ooh-oh, oh, yeah)
It's so lonely
It's so lonely when you don't even know yourself
It's so lonely
It's so lonely when you don't even know yourself

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.

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