Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released: August 16, 1989

Songwriter: Flea Chad Smith John Frusciante Anthony Kiedis

Producer: Michael Beinhorn

[Chorus]
LA Lakers, fast break makers
Kings of the court, shake and bake all takers
Back to back is a badass fact
A claim that remains intact

[Verse 1]
M-A-G-I-C, see you on the court
Buck has come to play his way and his way is to thwart
M-A-G-I-C, Magic of the buck
Other teams pray for dreams
But he don't give a fuck
Penetrating the lane like a bullet train
Comes Magic blood a telepathic brain
Knucklehead suckers better duck
When the buck comes through like a truck
Scott stops, pops, and drops it in
On his way back, gets a little skin
From the hand of a man named AC Green
Slam so hard, break your TV screen
Worthy's hot with his tomahawk
Take it to the hole, make your mama talk

[Pre-Chorus]
I hate to burst your bubble, but triple double trouble
Is comin' to your town and he's gonna make rubble

[Chorus]
LA Lakers, fast break makers
Kings of the court, shake and bake all takers
Back to back is a badass fact, a claim that remains intact

[Verse 2]
M-A-G-I-C, I see your purple and gold
You can swim, but you won't get far
So you might as well go home
M-A-G-I-C in Buck we trust
Restoring order to the court, and justice is a must
Lakers are the team that I watch on the telly
'Cause they've got more moves than a bowl full of jelly
The buck stops here, pops, then cheers
A roar through the Forum that deafens my ears
The one and only known of his kind sits in a throne
Not for the records that he holds
But for bein' bald and bold
Kareem Abdul Jabbar, all-time great super, superstar

[Pre-Chorus]
I hate to burst your bubble, but triple double trouble
Is comin' to your town and he's gonna make rubble

[Interlude]
Does anybody want some (Magic Johnson?)
Does anybody want some (Magic Johnson?)
Does anybody want some (Magic Johnson?)
Does anybody want some (Magic Johnson?)

[Chorus]
LA Lakers, fast break makers
Kings of the court, shake and bake all takers
Back to back is a badass fact, a claim that remains intact

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

Mother’s Milk

From the album

Mother’s Milk (1989)

Red Hot Chili Peppers popular songs

Magic JohnsonRed Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Mother’s Milk