Under The Bridge
Red Hot Chili Peppers退 Lyrics

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Sometimes I feel
Like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of angels
Lonely as I am
Together we cry

I drive on her streets
'Cause she's my companion
I walk through her hills
'Cause she knows who I am
She sees my good deeds
And she kisses me windy
I never worry
Now that is a lie

I don't ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way
I don't ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way (yeah yeah)

It's hard to believe
That there's nobody out there
It's hard to believe
That I'm all alone
At least I have her love
The city she loves me
Lonely as I am
Together we cry

I don't ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way
I don't ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way (yeah yeah)
Ooh no (no no yeah yeah)
Love me I say yeah yeah

Under the bridge downtown
Is were I drew some blood
Under the bridge downtown
I could not get enough
Under the bridge downtown
Forgot about my love
Under the bridge downtown
I gave my life away (yeah yeah)
Ooh no (no no yeah yeah)
Here I stay yeah yeah

Here I stay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Under The Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers are about the relationship between the lead singer, Anthony Kiedis, and the city of Los Angeles. The first verse reflects Kiedis' feelings of loneliness and abandonment, as he sometimes feels like he doesn't have anyone to turn to or confide in except the city itself. He speaks to Los Angeles as if it were a person, saying that it's his only friend and the only one who truly understands him.

The second verse describes the ways in which Kiedis interacts with the city, driving and walking around while performing good deeds. Even though he claims to feel better with the city by his side, he later admits that it's a lie - he's still struggling with the pain of addiction and depression. The chorus repeats his desire to find a place he loves and never feel that same pain again.

The bridge of the song takes a dark turn, detailing the specific location where Kiedis took heroin and became addicted. The line "I could not get enough" implies the depth of his addiction, and the following line "forgot about my love" is a reference to his girlfriend at the time, who he had neglected in favor of drugs. The final line "I gave my life away" is a haunting admission of the toll that addiction took on him.

Overall, "Under The Bridge" is a powerful song that captures the deep emotional struggles behind addiction and depression, as well as the beauty and solace that can be found in a complicated relationship with a city.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes I feel
At times, I experience emotions

Like I don't have a partner
As if I don't have someone close to me

Sometimes I feel
At times, I experience emotions

Like my only friend
As if my solitary confidant

Is the city I live in
The town I inhabit is my source of comfort

The city of angels
Los Angeles, also known as 'city of angels'

Lonely as I am
Despite being alone

Together we cry
The city and I share moments of sadness

I drive on her streets
I traverse on the city's roadways

'Cause she's my companion
Because the city is my escort

I walk through her hills
I explore the city's topography

'Cause she knows who I am
Because the city recognizes my identity

She sees my good deeds
The city bears witness to my acts of kindness

And she kisses me windy
The city embraces me with a gust of wind

I never worry
I'm always free from apprehension

Now that is a lie
But, in reality, that's untrue

I don't ever want to feel
I don't desire to experience

Like I did that day
The way I felt on a particular past day

Take me to the place I love
Bring me to my beloved place

Take me all the way
Take me all the distance

It's hard to believe
It's difficult to accept

That there's nobody out there
That there isn't anyone around

It's hard to believe
It's difficult to accept

That I'm all alone
That I'm completely by myself

At least I have her love
At the very least, I have the city's affection

The city she loves me
The city loves me in return

Under the bridge downtown
Beneath the bridge in the downtown area

Is were I drew some blood
Is the place where I bled

I could not get enough
I yearned for more of it

Forgot about my love
I neglected my affection

I gave my life away
I surrendered myself

Ooh no (no no yeah yeah)
Repeated interjection

Here I stay yeah yeah
I remain here

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., MoeBeToBlame, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTHONY KIEDIS, MICHAEL BALZARY, JOHN ANTHONY FRUSCIANTE, CHAD SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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