Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released: November 1, 1994

Songwriter: Flea Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Andy Gill

[Verse 1]
Give it up to this time full of strife
Get down, you might be fucking with the song of life
Extend your deeper senses, there will be no fight
At the never-ending ocean of perfect insights
Around your molecule beam with a halo of light
The animated aura will give delight
Soon, your every single worry will be out of sight
With the power of it, we are about to astound
All your preconceptions, they will come unbound
"Listen very close," my inner voice expounds
"We are the human race, and we groove to the sound"
Yes, we deliver the truth to our musical birth
A soul-shocking sound with electrify the earth
People have to know that it's not about money
Cash is not the way to make your life sunny
There is no need if you got the soul seed
Love, life, and peace, it can only begin
When you know in your heart that the change is within
Love all your brothers and love all your sisters
Love all the missus and love all the misses
And don't be shy when you're sharing your kisses
Greed, jealousy gets boos and hisses

[Chorus]
What it is, what it is, so much to be found
What it is, what it is, groove down to the sounds
What it is, what it is, what it is in a song
What it is, what it is, you can do no wrong

[Verse 2]
Balance your life with the right kind of foods
To eat a sad cow, is to eat another you
Well, that's an unfair rap, it's unforgivably rude
It'll put your karma in the worst of moods
Someone drinkin' booze and taking too many ludes
'Cause when you cop, don't you cop an attitude
And that's an ugly thing, it's not the real you
So please, y'all, take some sound advice
Be yourself, clear your mind, make a sacrifice
The always sober you is especially nice

[Verse 3]
Don't loot, don't shout, give comet the boot
I love it kickin' back and playin' my bamboo flute
Refuse to fight wars for political whores
Unsurpassed peace lines the salt water shores
It is my notion that the perfect peace potion
Can be found in the wake of the green sea ocean
Long rocky swells of the mighty blue ocean
Is the cradle of peace, it's the perfect peace potion
There you will find it, with sweet sea creatures
The smile of a dolphin is a built-in feature
We will learn much peace with the whale as your teacher
"Good morning class, how very nice to meet you."

[Chorus]
What it is, what it is, so much to be found
What it is, what it is, groove down to the sounds
What it is, what it is, what it is in a song
What it is, what it is, you can do no wrong

[Verse 4]
Open up your hearts to the planets, to the stars
With your spirit take, a trip from Venus to Mars
You know, Einstein did while Hitler hid
Now Albert lives forever in every single kid
But, with Adolf Hitler, we are permanently rid
Picasso, Mister Dali, and my man, Jimi Hendrix
These cool brothers make the world go 'round
Yeah, they do it with art, and Jimi did it with sound
But, by all these men, it was found
Each and every person can be just as renowned
Don't let the world's racist creeds give your pretty face a frown
Stand up for equal rights, I mean buckle down
Go spread the word from town to town
We are the human race and we groove to the sounds

[Outro]
(Red hot
Red hot, red hot, red hot, red hot)
Now that you've heard what it is in a song
From here on in, you can do no wrong

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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