The Red Hot Chili Peppers were formed in Los Angeles by Kiedis, Flea, guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons. Due to commitments to other bands, Slovak and Irons did not play on the band's 1984 self-titled debut album, which instead featured guitarist Jack Sherman and drummer Cliff Martinez. Slovak rejoined for their second album, Freaky Styley (1985), and Irons for their third, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987). Irons left after Slovak died of a drug overdose in June 1988.
With new recruits Frusciante and Smith, the Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded Mother's Milk (1989) and their first major commercial success, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). Frusciante was uncomfortable with their newfound popularity and left abruptly on tour in 1992. After a series of temporary guitarists, he was replaced by Dave Navarro, who appeared on the group's sixth album, One Hot Minute (1995). Although successful, the album failed to match the critical or popular acclaim of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Frusciante and Kiedis struggled with drug addiction throughout the 1990s.
In 1998, following Navarro's departure, Frusciante rejoined the band. Their seventh album, Californication (1999), became their biggest commercial success, with 16 million copies sold worldwide. By the Way (2002) and Stadium Arcadium (2006) were also successful; Stadium Arcadium was their first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Frusciante left again in 2009 to focus on his solo career; he was replaced by Josh Klinghoffer, who appeared on I'm with You (2011) and The Getaway (2016), before Frusciante rejoined in 2019. They released their 12th album, Unlimited Love, in 2022.
The Chili Peppers' mix of hard rock, funk and hip hop has influenced genres such as funk metal, rap metal, rap rock and nu metal. Kiedis said the band were early to combine "hardcore funk and hip-hop-style vocals", and suggested they had influenced Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, and Linkin Park. Smith said, "Certainly Anthony's singing style and voice lends itself to being unique, and nobody sounds like him. The cool thing about it is we can play any style of music whether it's hard and fast, or loud or quiet, slow or medium, whatever it is; rock or funk, and it still sounds like us. I'm proud of that because sometimes bands don't have that strong personality where you go, 'Oh, that's boom, right away.'"
The Chili Peppers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In April 2012. The induction lineup was Kiedis, Flea, Smith, Klinghoffer, Frusciante, Slovak (represented by his brother James), Irons and Martinez; Frusciante was invited, but did not attend. Navarro and Sherman were not inducted; Sherman said he felt "dishonored". The band performed "By the Way", "Give It Away" and "Higher Ground", which included Irons and Martinez on drums. It was the first time Kiedis and Flea had performed with Irons in more than 20 years.
In 2003, Rolling Stone released their first list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", with Blood Sugar Sex Magik at 310 and Californication at 399. In 2012, a revised list was released, with Californication at 401. In 2020, Rolling Stone released another version of the list, with Blood Sugar Sex Magik at 186 and Californication at 286.
The band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 31, 2022. George Clinton, Woody Harrelson and Bob Forrest unveiled the star at the ceremony.
Charlie
Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All aboard, stitch in time
Get yours, got mine
In a minute, I'll be there
Sit tight, get square (tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
You can do it at the hippodrome (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Slide back, trombone (wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
Anybody got a TV at home? (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
That's right, unknown
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
(Huh)
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
Oh, whoa, now
(Tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
(One, one, one, one, one, one more)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
(One, one, one, one, one, one more)
Everybody do the twist
Get the message on Flea's fists
Move around like a scientist
Lay down, get kissed (tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
Big picture and it never lies (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Big daddy will advice (wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
EverReady in disguise (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Sunset, sunrise
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
Huh
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
Whoa-whoa, now
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
All I ever wanted to was pick it up and run with you
Slip into a summer spell, double up and run like hell
Huh
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
No, whoa, now
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
"Charlie” is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers, released in 2006. The lyrics are poetically psychedelic and unclear in meaning, leaving the listener to interpret for themselves. The overall meaning behind the song is rather ambiguous; it seems to be about living in the moment, enjoying life, and being free, but there are other elements that make it hard to know what the song is truly about.
The first stanza is an introduction to the song, with the singer calling listeners to join him on his adventure. The song has a lot of rhythm and repetition, which creates a dreamlike atmosphere. The chorus is the most memorable part of the song, with the repetitive line “Charlie’s wakin’ me” being sung over and over. The second verse follows a similar pattern to the first. The closing section is once again the chorus and the song ends as mysteriously as it started.
Some listeners have interpreted the song to be about drugs, while others think it’s about the joy of performing music live. However, the most credible interpretation remains the one put in by the members of the band, which is that there is no one true interpretation. The song was created with the intention of being ambiguous, so listeners can decide for themselves what it means to them.
Line by Line Meaning
All aboard, stitch in time
Let's get ready and be on time
Get yours, got mine
I am all set and ready
In a minute, I'll be there
I will be there shortly
Sit tight, get square
Relax and wait patiently
You can do it at the hippodrome
You can do it with ease
Slide back, trombone
Enjoy and groove with the music
Anybody got a TV at home?
Does anyone have a TV around?
That's right, unknown
Right, it's unknown to us
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
When I sense danger, I take action immediately
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
Help me out and let's get out of here quickly
So much more than Charlie's wakin' me
There's a lot happening and I am fully alert
To my core and
It's affecting me deeply
And Charlie's shakin' me
There's a powerful force at work
And tell my story
And it affects my life in a significant way
And Charlie's makin' me smile
But I am also happy and content
Everybody do the twist
Let's all dance together
Get the message on Flea's fists
Listen to the music that Flea plays
Move around like a scientist
Dance freely and experimentally
Lay down, get kissed
Relax and enjoy the moment
Big picture and it never lies
The bigger picture always tells the truth
Big daddy will advice
Listen to the advice of the experienced and wise
EverReady in disguise
Always prepared, even if it is not obvious to others
Sunset, sunrise
The cycle of life continues
My heart, your skin This love, I'm in
I love you deeply
We don't arrive without a surprise
Life is full of surprises
You're right, I'm wrong Be free, belong
Sometimes you are right and I am wrong, but we should both be free and belong
Intimate sight has come into light
We now truly see and understand each other
All I ever wanted to was pick it up and run with you Slip into a summer spell, double up and run like hell
All I ever wanted was to be with you and enjoy the moment, let's escape and run towards happiness
No, whoa, now
Wow, this is amazing
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Michael Balzary, John Anthony Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marlie7989
Lyrics 🖤
All aboard, stitch in time
Get yours, got mine
In a minute I'll be there
Sit tight, get square
You can do it at the Hippodrome
Slide back, trombone
Anybody got a TV tome?
That's right, unknown
When I pick up on that smell
Pick it up and run like hell
Little woman save me some
Better get up on your run
So much more than Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and Charlie's shakin' me
Tell my story and Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
Everybody, do the twist
Get the message on Flea's fist
Move around like a scientist
Lay down, get kissed
Big picture and it never lies
Big daddy will advise
Eveready in disguise
Sunset, sunrise
When I pick up on that smell
Pick it up and run like hell
Little woman save me some
Better get up on your run
So much more than Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and Charlie's shakin' me
Tell my story and Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
My heart, your skin, this love I'm in
We don't arrive without a suprise
You're right, I'm wrong, be free, belong
Intimate sight has come in to light
When I pick up on that smell
Pick it up and run like hell
Little woman save me some
Better get up on your run
All I ever wanted to
Was pick it up and run with you
Slip it into a summer spell
Double up and run like hell
So much more than Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and Charlie's shakin' me
Tell my story and Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
My heart, your skin, this love I'm in
We don't arrive without a suprise
You're right, I'm wrong, be free, belong
Intimate sight has come in to light
My heart, your skin, this love I'm in
We don't arrive without a suprise
You're right, I'm wrong, be free, belong
Intimate sight has come in to light
@RedHotChiliPeppers
All I ever wanted to
Was pick it up and run with you
Slip into a summer spell
Double up and run like hell
* * * *
On this day in 2007, the music video for “Charlie” was released. Did you know that RHCP held a contest for fans to create the music video? The winning video, directed by Omri Cohen, was selected out of over 2,600 submissions.
@coreyharper9163
That explains a lot now.
@chakawaka4049
Woww
@nohome170
How are you all doing RHCP ?
@thewhispersir9113
nice facts
@go1666
Wow that’s mad the video is so cool aswell
@JOINTHEPOSSE
For those who didn't liked that much the video as the song: This was completely made by fans. It's Anthony's and rhcp's story told in a video. When anthony saw it he actually cried. And had to make it the official one. I love it. I think it's very original and awesome.
@ulissesmm
Thanks for the info!
@tarakokun2551
Wow
@JediCrackSmoke
Wrong. Read Scar Tissue, my guy.