Released: August 10, 1984

Songwriter: Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Andy Gill

[Verse 1]
About this planet, there is something I know
There's a very big difference between above and below
A friend, foe, or bro, leave your body on the floor
Let your spirit fly away like the soul of a crow
Here, above land, man has laid his plan
And yes, it does include the Ku Klux Klan
We got a government so twisted and bent
Bombs, tanks and guns is how our money is spent
We got V.D., heroin, greed and prostitution
Tension, aggravation, L. Ron Hubbard solution
Not to mention hard-core chemical pollution
If you think a different way, you're in a mental institution
And that's a heart felt shame
'Cause everyone's crazy, everyone's the same
So, why should only Larry, Curly and Moe be to blame?

[Bridge]
Wow
Ow, ow, ow
Ooh

[Verse 2]
Time now take you to a different place
Where peace-loving whales flow through liquid outer space
A grooving and a gliding as graceful as lace
A never-losing touch with ocean's embrace
Diviner than the dolphin, that there is none
'Cause dolphins just-a like to have a lot of fun
No one tells 'em how their life is run
And no one points at 'em with a gun
They have a lot of love for every livin' creature
The smile of a dolphin is a built-in feature
They be movin' in schools but everyone's the teacher
Someday mister dolphin, I know I'm going to meet ya

[Verse 3]
Back to the land of the police man
Where he does whatever he says he can
Including hating you because you're a Jew
Or beating black ass, that's nothing new
A trigger-happy cops, they just like to brawl
They use guns, clubs, gas, but that's not all
They got puke-ridden prisons and sex-sick jails
Fuck the poor, if you're rich you pay the bail
So support your police, support your local wars
That's the way to open economic doors
Why do we do it? 'Cause the president's a whore
We assume the position to sell the ammunition
What the fuck? It's the American tradition
Along with goin' fishin', apple pies in the kitchen
Isn't it bitchin' seeing dead men in ditches?

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.