Frusciante joined the Chili Peppers at the age of 18 after the death of guitarist Hillel Slovak, and first appeared on their album Mother's Milk (1989). His second album with the band, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), was their breakthrough success. Overwhelmed by the band's newfound popularity, he quit in 1992. He became a recluse and entered a period of heroin addiction, during which he released his first solo recordings: Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt (1994) and Smile from the Streets You Hold (1997). In 1998, he completed drug rehabilitation and rejoined the Chili Peppers, taking them to major success with their albums Californication (1999), By the Way (2002) and Stadium Arcadium (2006). He left the Red Hot Chili Peppers again in 2009 to focus on solo work, and rejoined in 2019.
Frusciante's solo work encompasses genres including experimental rock, ambient music and electronica. He released six albums in 2004, each exploring different genres and recording techniques. In 2009, Frusciante released The Empyrean, which features Chili Peppers bassist Flea and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Frusciante also releases acid house under the alias Trickfinger. With Klinghoffer and Joe Lally, he has released two albums as Ataxia.
Frusciante was named one of the greatest guitarists by Rolling Stone and Gibson, and in a BBC poll. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2012.
Frusciante's musical style has evolved over the course of his career. Although he received moderate recognition for his early guitar work, it was not until later in his career that music critics and guitarists alike began to fully recognize it: in October 2003, he was ranked eighteenth in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Frusciante attributes this recent recognition to his shift in focus, stating that he chose an approach based on rhythmic patterns inspired by the complexity of material Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen produced. On earlier records, however, much of his output was influenced by various underground punk and new wave musicians.
In general, his sound is also defined by an affinity for vintage guitars. All the guitars that he owns, records, and tours with were made before 1970. Frusciante uses the specific guitar that he finds appropriate for a certain song. All of the guitars he owned before quitting the band were destroyed when his house burned down in 1996. The first guitar he bought after rejoining the Chili Peppers was a 1962 red Fender Jaguar. His most-often used guitar, however, is a 1961 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster that was given to him as a gift from Anthony Kiedis after Frusciante rejoined the Chili Peppers in 1998. He has played this guitar on every album since rejoining the Chili Peppers, and their ensuing tours. He also owns a 1955 Fender Stratocaster, his only Strat with a maple fretboard. Frusciante's most highly appraised instrument is a 1955 Gretsch White Falcon, which he used twice per show for the songs Californication and Otherside. Since 2006, he only uses it for the latter song, saying there was "no room for it", preferring multiple Stratocasters for the Stadium Arcadium tour. Virtually all of Frusciante's acoustic work is played with a 1950s Martin 0–15.
After leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he switched to using a Yamaha SG as his primary guitar for his solo work. "With the Yamaha SG, I could play along with guitar players who were playing, say, Les Pauls, and feel like the sound matched what I was hearing on the record. ... People like Robert Fripp, Mick Ronson, Tony Iommi, and particularly John McGeoch from Siouxsie and the Banshees, who played a Yamaha SG, which is why I bought one in the first place". Frusciante has also noted his increased use of the Roland MC-202 for his electronic music, saying that he was at the point "where I thought as much like a 202ist as I did a guitarist ..." The MC-202 has been his primary melodic instrument in his electronic music.
With the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Frusciante provided backing vocals in a falsetto tenor, a style he started on Blood Sugar Sex Magik. He thoroughly enjoyed his role in the Chili Peppers as backing vocalist, and said that backing vocals are a "real art form". Despite his commitment to the Chili Peppers, he felt that his work with the band should remain separate from his solo projects. When he returned to the Chili Peppers in 1998, Kiedis wanted the band to record "Living in Hell", a song Frusciante had written several years before. Frusciante refused, feeling that the creative freedom he needed for his solo projects would have conflicted with his role in the band.
Breathe
John Frusciante Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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Voice 1: hole in my pocket
Voice 2: in mysteries
Voice 1: sold my women to you feed me
Voice 2: there's been wine for him
Voice 1: on a ground you are a clown if I each
Voice 1: my select pied of course (???)
Voice 1: sold your woman I've been on your cock about in
Voice 2: have you been you I've seen. what about sin.
Voice 2: she loves
Voice 1: you with your fresh towel
Voice 2: she has thrown down
Voice 1: do you bloomer in your fool
Voice 2: you gloom I have been
Voice 1: give this darling
Voice 2: with this tumbling door bell ring
Voice 2: she be into me
Voice 2: my trend
Voice 2: she would steal
Voice 1: you won't believe it's been you
Voice 2: you are this and that you
Voice 1: could you believe this is matter of true, oh yeah
Voice 2: could you be, this is true
Voice 1: hold your woman
Voice 2: in moment matter
Voice 2: it's been happening right
Voice 1: you found
Voice 2: you find
Voice 1: you're buys
Voice 2: you fortune the penis
Voice 1: like at the sky have no country side
Voice 2: in the book store have become
Voice 1: if you know what I mean
Voice 2: you can have the same dope and it
Voice 2: this sucks
Voice 1: do you know what I mean
Voice 2: no matter where are go the people are marvelous
Voice 1: let her scream
Voice 2: you survive
Voice 1: to the one that she owes a scream
Voice 2: your porch porcupine
Voice 1: with I have been a vein I think we were the same in mushroom
Voice 2: I've been porcupine ah ha hey porcupine
Part 2
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Voice 2: that surly must have been the case
Voice 2: face to mate a lot of face
Voice 2: you burns pushed me to work
Voice 2: I was charming
Voice 2: hope you come
Voice 2: but the future this way
Voice 2: is with the minor pain from age
Voice 2: the more I hear for pilots treausre
Voice 2: I will to get anything
Voice 1: hey
Voice 2: inspection
Voice 1: I put my life in times
Voice 2: I have this thing too
Voice 1: oh so happy
Voice 2: you think your cool
Voice 1: in on this feel
Voice 2: you have been into the school
Voice 1: (???) in your voice
Voice 2: you have nowhere you have bets for what you do
Voice 1: you animated me
Voice 2: hey you are
Voice 1: so see this down
Voice 2: blending me with the sunshine
Voice 1: I've been judie I been gee I'm used to them nobody no beginning
Voice 2: you had me you and pooh through you have lots of pikachu. (4:15)
Voice 1: noel eat no mend
Voice 2: you're the one you vein
Voice 2: lord, lord,
Voice 1: it will give pour now said
Voice 2: lord
Voice 1: I order
Voice 2: you think your cool
Voice 1: no one
Voice 2: you have been into the school
Voice 1: but you lost it's spark
Voice 2: you had mo out of made of you
Voice 1: not even mister ash
Voice 2: wooooo
Voice 2: yeah
Voice 1: appends
Voice 2: hmm.
Voice 1: owww
Voice 1: yeah sure
Voice 1: you know expressions
Voice 1: we would be like the peices paper
Voice 1: be cleared away not just us in my room
Voice 1: the over pichers carl hanna
Voice 1: halleluya owwwww
Voice 1: appear about horses
Voice 1: no not today
Voice 1: 'cause today is for walking
The lyrics to John Frusciante's song "Breathe" are difficult to interpret as they appear to be disjointed and nonsensical. The song proceeds in two parts with various voices interjecting with seemingly random phrases. However, some of the lyrics do contain common themes such as love, pain, and loss. The first part of the song opens with "hole in my pocket" and the following voices alternate with various phrases such as "sold my women to you feed me" and "she loves you with your fresh towel." These lyrics convey a sense of desperation and dependency in love. The second part of the song contains more whimsical and abstract phrases such as "you think you're cool" and "we would be like pieces of paper, be cleared away not just us in my room." These lyrics seem to be more about the fleeting and transient nature of life.
Overall, the lyrics to "Breathe" are open to interpretation and may have different meanings for different listeners. The disjointed nature of the song may be a commentary on the incomprehensibility of life and the difficulty in expressing complex emotions through words.
Line by Line Meaning
hole in my pocket
I'm broke
in mysteries
I'm in a state of confusion
sold my women to you feed me
I've given everything I have to get what I want
there's been wine for him
He's getting what he wants while I'm left with nothing
I feel bad what's wrong my love
I'm sorry for what I did, my love, what can I do to make it right?
on a ground you are a clown if I each
You look ridiculous if I look closely
my select pied of course (???)
I choose carefully
sold your woman I've been on your cock about in
I'm trying to get what I want by any means necessary
have you been you I've seen. what about sin.
Have you been affected by the same things I have? What about the consequences?
she loves
She's in love
you with your fresh towel
You're confident and pristine
she has thrown down
She's put her guard down
do you bloomer in your fool
Do you make mistakes because you're foolish?
you gloom I have been
You feel down; I've been there too
give this darling
Give me this, my love
with this tumbling door bell ring
With this chaotic situation
she be into me
She's interested in me
my trend
My way of doing things
she would steal
She would take what she wants
you won't believe it's been you
You won't believe what you've done
you are this and that you
You're so many things
could you believe this is matter of true, oh yeah
Could you believe this is actually true?
hold your woman
Take care of your partner
in moment matter
In this particular moment
it's been happening right
It's been happening all along
you found
You discovered
you're buys
You're busy
you fortune the penis
You're obsessed with your masculinity
like at the sky have no country side
Looking at the sky, I feel free and unbounded
in the book store have become
In the bookstore, I become lost in my own world
if you know what I mean
If you understand what I'm trying to say
you can have the same dope and it
You can experience the same thing
this sucks
This is terrible
do you know what I mean
Do you understand?
no matter where are go the people are marvelous
No matter where I go, I always find amazing people
let her scream
Let her express herself
you survive
You'll make it through
to the one that she owes a scream
To the person who deserves to hear her scream
your porch porcupine
You're prickly and guarded
with I have been a vein I think we were the same in mushroom
I feel like I can relate to you on a deep level
I've been porcupine ah ha hey porcupine
I've been guarded, like a porcupine
that surly must have been the case
That must be the explanation for it
face to mate a lot of face
I'm confronted with a lot of faces
you burns pushed me to work
Your intensity motivates me to work harder
I was charming
I was magnetic and attractive
hope you come
I hope you'll be here
but the future this way
But the future is uncertain
is with the minor pain from age
It comes with the small pains of aging
the more I hear for pilots treausre
The more I discover, the more valuable it becomes
I will to get anything
I'm determined to get what I want
hey
Hey there
inspection
Looking closely
I put my life in times
I've dedicated my life to living in the moment
I have this thing too
I can relate to this as well
oh so happy
I'm feeling incredibly happy
you think your cool
You're acting like you're cool
in on this feel
I'm involved in this emotion
you have been into the school
You've been indoctrinated
(???) in your voice
There's something hidden in your voice
you have nowhere you have bets for what you do
You have nothing to lose, but you're making risky decisions
you animated me
You excited me
so see this down
Calm down
blending me with the sunshine
Making me feel bright and happy
I've been judie I been gee I'm used to them nobody no beginning
I've been in this situation before, I'm familiar with it
you had me you and pooh through you have lots of pikachu. (4:15)
You had me, you and your possessions, but they don't make you happy
noel eat no mend
I don't need anything
you're the one you vein
You're the one who's arrogant
lord, lord,
Oh God
it will give pour now said
It will rain soon, as they say
I order
I request
but you lost it's spark
It's lost its charm
you had mo out of made of you
You had too much made of you
not even mister ash
Not even someone as charismatic as Mr. Ash
wooooo
Wow
appends
Continues
owww
Ow
yeah sure
Yeah, of course
you know expressions
You understand how to communicate through words
we would be like the peices paper
We would be insignificant
be cleared away not just us in my room
Not just us, but everything else in this room will disappear
the over pichers carl hanna
The excessive detail in this room is overwhelming
halleluya owwwww
An expression of joy
appear about horses
Talking about a horse for no reason
no not today
Not now
'cause today is for walking
Today, we'll just walk
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHN FRUSCIANTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mussman717word
The vast majority of musicians just don't have the balls to put something like this out. Hubert Selby used to say a lot of men were horrible writers because they let their own dicks get in the way of the story. John is totally pure for this reason, being completely honest to us and himself, unafraid to display his bare-naked soul.
Andres leclerc
yes !!!!!!!!
//////
heroin
Somewhat Something
Almost any art can be dismissed as "talentless shit", and this happens all the time. Unfortunately.
But that misses the mark/point/emotion/human...🌊💓💜
Snorman
He didn’t do this out of bravery he did it for drug money. I love John and I’m so happy he’s better.
DLS
@Snormanexactly! Thank you!
TheGreenBlackbird
there is nothing here to feel sad for. he expresses himself. who except him had the courage to do such an album?
Ray Ponton
this is sad cause he realize he fails ..... he was thinking he will die very soon ... this song is one of my favorites the end is very strong and one of the best moment of art i found
Astrobaby 666
Love this song! Very expressive, and very nice voice.
Sheli Ben-Moshe
some times i feel this song is like an opera-it has so much drama in it and how he is singing and controlling his breath- it is mesmerizing and captivating and makes you listen 0:55
and the blues part, the semi-dialog between himself and the other "him", it sounds like 91 frusciante talking to 94-97 frusciante- so many good things in it!