Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released: August 16, 1985

Songwriter: Jack Irons Hillel Slovak Flea Anthony Kiedis

Producer: George Clinton

[Intro]
You're in the middle of June in the summer of '59, I was young and cool, shot a bad game of pool, and I hustled all the chumps I could find. Now they call me the swan cause I wave my magic wand and I loved all the women to death. I partied hard, packed a mean rod, and I'll knock you out with a right or left

[Verse 1]
Nevermind the Pack Jam
Nevermind the Gap Band
Nevermind the Zapp Band
Nevermind the funk scam

[Chorus]
'Cause we're Red Hot Chili Peppers

[Verse 2]
Nevermind the British bands
Nevermind the synth funk bands
Nevermind the Wham Wham band
Nevermind Duran Duran

[Chorus]
'Cause we're Red Hot Chili Peppers

[Verse 3]
Nevermind the Soft Cell shit
That's strictly for the twits
Nevermind the Men At Work
Those tunes are for the jerks

[Chorus]
'Cause we're Red Hot Chili Peppers

[Verse 4]
Nevermind Hall and Oates
Those guys are a couple of goats
Nevermind the Culture Club
That jive's just one big flub

[Chorus]
'Cause we're 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.

more tracks from the album

Out in LA

From the albums

Freaky Styley (1985)
Out in LA (1994)

Red Hot Chili Peppers popular songs

NevermindRed Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Out in LA