Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released: May 5, 2006

Songwriter: Flea Anthony Kiedis Chad Smith John Frusciante

Producer: Rick Rubin

[Intro]
One, two, three, four

[Verse 1]
Waking up dead, inside of my head
Would never, never do, there is no med
No medicine to take

I've had a chance to be insane
Asylum from the falling rain
I've had a chance to break

[Verse 2]
It’s so bad, it’s got to be good
Mysterious girl misunderstood
Dressed like a wedding cake

Any other day and I might play
A funeral march for Bonnie Brae
Why try and run away?

[Chorus]
Slow cheetah come before my forest
Looks like it's on today
Slow cheetah come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say

[Verse 3]
I know a girl, she worked in a store
She knew not what her life was for
She barely knew her name

They tried to tell her, she would never be
As happy as a girl in a magazine
She bought it with her pay

[Chorus]
Slow cheetah come before my forest
Looks like it's on today
Slow cheetah come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say

[Verse 4]
Everyone has so much to say
They talk, talk, talk their lives away
Don’t even hesitate

Walking on down to the burial ground
It’s a very old dance with a merry old sound
Looks like it's on today

[Chorus]
Slow cheetah come before my forest
Looks like it's on today
Slow cheetah come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say
Slow cheetah come before my forest
Looks like it's on today
Slow cheetah come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say

[Instrumental Outro]

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

Stadium Arcadium

From the album

Stadium Arcadium (2006)

Red Hot Chili Peppers popular songs

Slow CheetahRed Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Stadium Arcadium