Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released: September 29, 1987

Songwriter: Jack Irons Hillel Slovak Flea Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Michael Beinhorn

[Verse 1]
All you slingers and fiends
Hide behind your rocks
Put down your guard
I'm not here to box
This is no showdown
So throw down your guns
You see it doesn't matter
Where you come from
You could be from Park Ave
Or from a park bench
You could be a politician
Or a bitchy princess
But if you're lookin' for a fist
And you're lookin' to unite
Put your knuckleheads together
Make a fist and fight
Not to your death
And not to your grave
I'm talkin' 'bout that freedom
Fight like a brave

[Chorus 1]
Fight like a brave, don't be a slave
No one can tell you you've got to be afraid

[Verse 2]
If you're sick-a-sick n tired
Of being sick and tired
If you're sick of all the bullshit
And you're sick of all the lies
It's better late than never
To set-a-set it straight
You know the lie is dead
So give yourself a break
Or get it through your head
And get it off your chest
Or get it out your arm
Because it's time to start fresh
You want to stop dying
The life you could be livin'
I'm here to tell a story
But I'm also here to listen
No I'm not your preacher
And I'm not your physician
I'm just trying to reach you
I'm a rebel with a mission

[Chorus 2]
Fight like a brave - don't be a slave
No one can tell you you've got to be afraid
Fight like a brave - don't be a slave
No one can tell you you've got to be afraid

[Interlude]
I am here today to talk about the Uplift Mofo Party Plan
A plan based on a band, a band based on a plan
There shall be no slaves in the land of lands, it's a Hollywood jam

[Verse 3]
You say you're running and you're running
And you're running afraid
You say you ran across the planet
But you couldn't get away
The fire in your brain
Was driving you insane
You were looking for a day
In a life that never came
So don't tell me that
I've got to take a number
'Cause I've been to that doctor
And believe me, that's a bummer
He's one of a kind
Convention of the mind
And don't forget to mention
That it doesn't cost a dime
Come as you like
And leave any time
And one more thing
You know it doesn't have to rhyme

[Chorus 3]
Fight like a brave (Fight like a brave) don't be a slave (Another slave)
No one can tell you you've got to be afraid
Fight like a brave (Fight like a brave) don't be a slave (Another slave)
No one can tell you you've got to be afraid
Fight like a brave (Fight like a brave) don't be a slave (Another slave)
No one can tell you you've got to be afraid
Fight like a brave (Fight like a brave) don't be a slave (Another slave)
No one can tell you you've got to be afraid

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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