slow cheetah
Red Hot Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One, two, three, four

Waking up dead, inside of my head
Would never, never do
There is no med-, no medicine to take
I've had a chance to be insane, asylum from the falling rain
I've had a chance to break
It's so bad, it's got to be good
Mysterious girl misunderstood, dressed like a wedding cake
Any other day and I might play a funeral march for Bonnie Brae
Why try and run away?

Slow cheetah, come before my forest
Looks like it's on today
Slow cheetah, come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say

I knew a girl
She worked in a store, she knew not what her life was for
She barely knew her name
They tried to tell her she would never be as happy as a girl in a magazine
She bought it with her pay

Slow cheetah, come before my forest
Looks like it's on today
Slow cheetah, come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say

Everyone has so much to say
They talk, talk, talk their lives away
Don't even hesitate
Walking on down to the burial ground
It's a very old dance with a merry old sound
Looks like it's on today

Slow cheetah, come before my forest
Looks like it's on today
Slow cheetah, come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say
Slow cheetah, come before my forest
Looks like it's on today




Slow cheetah, come, it's so euphoric
No matter what they say

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "Slow Cheetah" tell a story of letting go of societal norms and embracing a more natural way of living. The vocalist, Anthony Kiedis, speaks of waking up "dead inside of [his] head" and realizing that there is no medication that can truly heal him. He then reflects on moments in his life where he has been close to insanity and could have broken down, but ultimately found strength to persevere. The imagery of a "mysterious girl misunderstood, dressed like a wedding cake" serves as a metaphor for the expectation of conformity that society places on individuals.


The chorus of the song calls for a "slow cheetah" to come before Kiedis' "forest," symbolizing a need for change and growth in his life. He describes the feeling as "euphoric" and states that it doesn't matter what others may say. The lyrics then introduce a character, a "girl who worked in a store," who has been told that she cannot be as happy as the women she sees in magazines. This verse serves as a commentary on the pressure society puts on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards.


The final verse speaks to the idea that everyone has something to say, but it often amounts to nothing more than empty talk. The imagery of walking to the "burial ground" represents a letting go of societal expectations and embracing a more natural way of living. The song ends with a repeat of the chorus, emphasizing the need for growth and the willingness to reject societal norms in order to achieve it.


Line by Line Meaning

Waking up dead inside of my head
Starting the day feeling numb and disconnected from reality


Will never never do there is no med
This state of mind cannot be alleviated by medication


No medicine to take
There is no quick fix for this emotional pain


I've had a chance to be insane
I've experienced moments of madness


Asylum from the falling rain
Finding refuge from life's hardships


I've had a chance to break
I've hit rock bottom


It's so bad it's got to be good
The situation is so terrible that it can only get better


Mysterious girl misunderstood
A girl who is enigmatic and often misjudged by others


Dressed like a wedding cake
Wearing ostentatious clothing that makes her stand out


Any other day and I might play
Under different circumstances, I might act differently


A funeral march for Bonnie Brae
Mourning the loss of something or someone


Why try and run away
Why bother escaping when there is nowhere to go


Slow cheetah come
A request for something beautiful and wild to appear


Before my forest
Before my inner landscape


Looks like it's on today
Seems like something important is happening today


It's so euphoric
It's such an intense feeling of happiness


No matter what they say
Regardless of what others think or say about it


I know a girl
An introduction to a story about a girl


She worked in a store
Her occupation


She knew not what
She was unsure of her purpose


Her life was for
What her existence meant


She barely knew her name
She had a weak sense of self-identity


They tried to tell her
Others attempted to advise her


She would never be
She would not achieve the level of success or happiness that others have


As happy as the girl
As content and satisfied as someone else


In the magazine
In the media's portrayal of what success and happiness looks like


She bought it with her pay
She believed what she saw and heard, and purchased into the idea


Everyone has
A statement on society in general


So much to say
People are always talking frequently and loudly


They talk talk talk
Non-stop chatter


Their lives away
Wasting time and energy on meaningless conversations


Don't even hesitate
No need to hold back, speak your truth


Walking on down
A direction to move forward


To the burial ground
A place of death and finality


It's a very old dance
A long-standing yet monotonous routine


With a merry old sound
A facade of joy amidst the bleakness




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions