Give It Away
Red Hot Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, oh

What I got, you got to give it to your mama
What I got, you've got to give it to your papa
What I got, you got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
Reeling with the feeling, don't stop, continue
I realize I don't wanna be a miser
Confide with sly you'll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin' upriser
How come everybody wanna keep it like the Kaiser?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper

Greedy little people in a sea of distress
Keep your more to receive your less
Unimpressed by material excess
Love is free, love me, say, "Hell yes"
Low brow but I rock a little know how
No time for the piggies or the hoosegow
Get smart, get down with the pow wow
Never been a better time than right now
Bob Marley, poet and a prophet
Bob Marley, taught me how to off it
Bob Marley walkin' like he talk it
Goodness me, can't you see I'm gonna cough it?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Oh, oh yeah
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper

Lucky me swimmin' in my ability
Dancin' down on life with agility
Come and drink it up from my fertility
Blessed with a bucket of lucky mobility
My mom, I love her 'cause she love me
Long gone are the times when she scrub me
Feelin' good, my brother gonna hug me
Drinkin' my juice, young love chug-a-lug me
Ah, there's a river born to be a giver
Keep you warm won't let you shiver
His heart is never gonna wither
Come on, everybody, time to deliver

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper

What I got, you got to give it to your mama
What I got, you've got to give it to your papa
What I got, you got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
Reeling with the feeling, don't stop, continue
I realize I don't wanna be a miser
Confide with sly you'll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin' upriser
How come everybody wanna keep it like the Kaiser?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now

Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now




Give it away now
Give it away now

Overall Meaning

The song "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers is all about sharing and giving back to the world. The first verse talks about giving what you have to those closest to you, whether it's your mother, father, or daughter. The repetition of "What I've got you've got to give it to" emphasizes the idea of passing along what you have. The second verse encourages the listener to "get it" and keep going, to keep experiencing what the world has to offer without stopping. The lyrics also touch on the concept of not being greedy, as the singer doesn't want to be a "miser."


The chorus of the song is the most famous part, with its repeated refrain of "Give it away now." This is a call to action, telling listeners to be generous with what they have and not hold onto it so tightly. The verses that follow contain references to Bob Marley, and the idea of love being free. The overall message of the song is one of positivity and spreading goodness to those around you.


Overall, "Give It Away" is a song that encourages listeners to be generous and share what they have with others. It's a call to action for people to be kind and open-hearted, and to embrace the world around them.


Line by Line Meaning

What I've got you've got to give it to your mama
Whatever I have, you must give it to your mother


What I've got you've got to give it to your pappa
Whatever I have, you must give it to your father


What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter
Whatever I have, you must give it to your daughter


You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
After giving what you have, celebrate briefly and quench your thirst


What I've got you've got to get it put it in you
Whatever I have, you must acquire it and put it in yourself


Reeling with the feeling don't stop continue
Fully embrace the sensation and continue without stopping


Realize I don't want to be a miser
Acknowledge that I do not want to be stingy


Confide with sly you'll be the wiser
Collaborate cunningly and you will be more intelligent


Young blood is the lovin' upriser
Youthful energy is the uprising of love


How come everybody want to keep it like the kaiser
Why does everyone want to hold on to things like emperors do?


Give it away give it away give it away now
Give what you have away immediately


I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper
I'm not sure if I am someone important or just a poor person


Greedy little people in a sea of distress
Selfish individuals in a situation of great need


Keep your more to receive your less
Keep wanting more and you will have less


Unimpressed by material excess
I am not impressed by an excess of material goods


Love is free love me say hell yes
Love is freely given, love me and say 'yes!'


I'm a low brow but I rock a little know how
I may not be sophisticated, but I have some knowledge


No time for the piggies or the hoosegow
No time for greedy people or for prison


Get smart get down with the pow wow
Become smarter and join the celebration


Never been a better time than right now
There isn't a better time than now


Bob Marley poet and a prophet
Bob Marley was both a poet and a prophet


Bob Marley taught me how to off it
Bob Marley taught me how to let go


Bob Marley walkin' like he talk it
Bob Marley lived what he preached


Goodness me can't you see I'm gonna cough it
Can't you see that I am going to give it away?


Lucky me swimmin' in my ability
I am fortunate to be fully utilizing my skills


Dancin' down on life with agility
I am gracefully dancing through life


Come and drink it up from my fertility
Come and enjoy the fruits of my creativity


Blessed with a bucket of lucky mobility
I am fortunate to have a lot of good opportunities


My mom I love her 'cause she love me
I love my mother because she loves me


Long gone are the times when she scrub me
The days of my mother bathing me are long gone


Feelin' good my brother gonna hug me
Feeling great that my brother is going to hug me


Drink my juice young love chug-a-lug me
Drink my youthful energy, love and consume me


There's a river born to be a giver
There's a river that is meant to provide


Keep you warm won't let you shiver
The river will keep you warm and prevent you from shivering


His heart is never gonna wither
The river's heart will never die or fade


Come on everybody time to deliver
Let's go, everybody! It's time to give it all away




Lyrics © MoeBeToBlame, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Michael 'Flea' Balzary, John Frusciante

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Brilla100pre

✨ Lyrics
Oh, oh

What I got, you got to give it to your mama
What I got, you've got to give it to your papa
What I got, you got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
Reeling with the feeling, don't stop, continue
I realize I don't wanna be a miser
Confide with sly you'll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin' upriser
How come everybody wanna keep it like the Kaiser?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper

Greedy little people in a sea of distress
Keep your more to receive your less
Unimpressed by material excess
Love is free, love me, say, "Hell yes"
Low brow but I rock a little know how
No time for the piggies or the hoosegow
Get smart, get down with the pow wow
Never been a better time than right now
Bob Marley, poet and a prophet
Bob Marley, taught me how to off it
Bob Marley walkin' like he talk it
Goodness me, can't you see I'm gonna cough it?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Oh, oh yeah
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper

Lucky me swimmin' in my ability
Dancin' down on life with agility
Come and drink it up from my fertility
Blessed with a bucket of lucky mobility
My mom, I love her 'cause she love me
Long gone are the times when she scrub me
Feelin' good, my brother gonna hug me
Drinkin' my juice, young love chug-a-lug me
Ah, there's a river born to be a giver
Keep you warm won't let you shiver
His heart is never gonna wither
Come on, everybody, time to deliver

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper

What I got, you got to give it to your mama
What I got, you've got to give it to your papa
What I got, you got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
What I got, you gotta get it put it in you
Reeling with the feeling, don't stop, continue
I realize I don't wanna be a miser
Confide with sly you'll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin' upriser
How come everybody wanna keep it like the Kaiser?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now
Give it away, give it away, give it away now

Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now
Give it away now



@owenjackson1865

Lyrics 🙃

What I've got you've got to give it to your mama
What I've got you've got to give it to your pappa
What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
What I've got you've got to get it put it in you
What I've got you've got to get it put it in you
What I've got you've got to get it put it in you
Reeling with the feeling don't stop continue
Realize I don't want to be a miser
Confide with sly you'll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin' upriser
How come everybody want to keep it like the kaiser
Give it away give it away give it away now
Give it away give it away give it away now
Give it away give it away give it away now
I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper
Greedy little people in a sea of distress
Keep your more to receive your less
Unimpressed by material excess
Love is free love me say hell yes
I'm a low brow but I rock a little know how
No time for the piggies or the hoosegow
Get smart get down with the pow wow
Never been a better time than right now
Bob Marley poet and a prophet
Bob Marley taught me how to off it
Bob Marley walkin' like he talk it
Goodness me can't you see I'm gonna cough it
Give it away give it away give it away now
Give it away give it away give it away now
Give it away give it away give it away now
Lucky me swimmin' in my ability
Dancin' down on life with agility
Come and drink it up from my fertility
Blessed with a bucket of lucky mobility
My mom I love her 'cause she love me
Long gone are the times when she scrub me
Feelin' good my brother gonna hug me
Drink my juice young love chug-a-lug me
There's a river born to be a giver
Keep you warm won't let you shiver
His heart is never gonna wither
Come on everybody time to deliver
Give it away give it away give it away now
Give it away give it away give it away now
Give it away give it away give it away now
What I've got you've got to give it to your mama
What I've got you've got to give it to your pappa
What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water



@Ewer_

Поспели вишни в саду у дяди Вани,
У дяди Вани в саду поспели вишни,
А дядя Ваня с тетей Груней нынче в бане,
А мы под вечер погулять как-будто вышли.

Днем сидели мы и скромно выпивали,
Постепенно "Каберне" вливалось в кишки,
Вдруг соседский Петька намекнул скромно,
Что у дядя Вани в саду поспели вишни.

А мы не знали, про это мы не знали,
И выпивали, "Каберне" мы выпивали,
А в это время в саду у дяди Вани спели вишни,
Даже сликонца перезревали.

"Каберне", "Каберне", "Каберне" нау! (3 раза)
Быстро пейте, вишни переспели!

Ящик подавили и пошли на дело,
В голове мысля созрела,
Прочесать весь сад соседский быстро,
Пока вишня в нем не переспела.
Дома мы штаны переодели,
Чтоб штаны на жопе не порвались,
Чтоб удобно было лазить по деревьям,
Тварью буду, не пизжу, в натуре.

Маманя, приготовь заплаты,
Маманя, заготовь иголки,
Маманя, не ори так долго,
Мы ведь погулять решили,
По деревне выйти.

"Каберне", "Каберне", "Каберне" нау! (3 раза)
О! о, е!
"Каберне", "Каберне", "Каберне" нау! (3 раза)
Быстро пейте и пошли на дело!

Нам осталось еще чуток пройти,
И еще два дома нам обойти,
Петька сука, падла, тише, не галди,
Потому что дяди ванин сад вон, впереди!
Ребята, тише вы залазьте,
Заметят нас, нет заметят?!
Вдруг заметят что мы воздухом все дышим!
Сказал с кошелками мудак этот Петька,

А ну-ка, Петька, нагни эту ветку!
Он всю вишню в рубаху ссыпал,
А к ней навис, да перегнул слишком ветку,
И вместе с вишнями в осадок выпал.

"Каберне", "Каберне", "Каберне" нау! (3 раза)
Не греми стаканом, услышит дядя Ваня!

Пусть дядя Ваня купает тетю Груню,
В колхозной бане пускай ее чеканит,
Мы скажем вместе: "Спасибо, тетя Груня!"
И дяде Ване скажем: "Thank You! Дядя Ваня!"

Но собака дяди Вани не дремала,
Она не спала и все осознавала,
Она сука, все отлично понимала,
И вместе с жопой штаны нам разорвала.

Маманя - мы штаны порвали,
Маманя - жопу разодрали,
Кобеля мы проморгали дружно,
И за это мы, маманя, круто пострадали.
"Каберне", "Каберне", "Каберне" нау! (4 раза)
А "Каберне", нау! (2 раза)
"Каберне" нау! (18 раз)



All comments from YouTube:

@RedHotChiliPeppers

On this day in 1991, the music video for “Give It Away” was released. Directed by Stéphane Sednaoui.

@Faladiegao

Essa musica é massa!

@DiegoSena

Uma das melhores!!!

@CajaManzanillo

I remember my teen life... hahahaha

@tiagueragospel

saudade do john....

@rodrigoigle5633

que buen video , excelente Los RED HOT !!!

103 More Replies...

@cezzeboi2841

This bass line is one of the greatest ever recorded. How can you not love it?

@gilvraywilliams7231

Fuck yea!!!!

@paveantelic7876

it's just a funk version of come together lol

@kennethgibson1265

Here is the part in Funky Monks where Rick Rubin coaches Flea through keeping that bassline simple, very interesting: https://youtu.be/z0tTJ4SakE0?t=1425

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