Red Hot Chili Peppers was 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, 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.
Red Hot 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.'"
Red Hot Chili Peppers was 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
Fortune Faded
Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then you mate it
Oh I, do you?
A funny thing, the king who gets himself assassinated
Hey now, every time i lose
Altitude
You took a town by storm
Oh I, do you?
Now put away your welcome, soon you'll find you've overstayed it
Hey now, every time I lose
Altitude
[Chorus]
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind the consequences of the crime this time
My fortune faded
The medicated state of mind you find is overrated
Oh I, do you?
You saw it all come down and now it's time to imitate it
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
[Chorus]
Come on God, do I seem bulletproof?
Ooooooooooh
[Chorus: x2]
The song "Fortune Faded" by Red Hot Chili Peppers is a song with a mixture of different themes, metaphors, and similes. The opening line, "They say in chess, you gotta kill the queen, And then you mate it" establishes the chess metaphor, where the queen is perceived as the most powerful piece, but sometimes sacrificing it may lead to winning the game. This can be interpreted as taking risks and making sacrifices to achieve success, which aligns with the idea of fortune fading.
The line "A funny thing, the king who gets himself assassinated" can be interpreted as self-sabotage. Sometimes people create their own downfall without realizing it, just like killing yourself in a game of chess. The use of "funny" could suggest the absurdity of self-destruction. The song has a recurring theme of losing altitude, which can represent losing power, momentum, or control.
The bridge of the song, "Come on God, do I seem bulletproof?" indicates the singer's vulnerability and the incapacity for invincibility. Despite the pursuit of power and success, everyone has their susceptibility and limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
They say in chess, you gotta kill the queen
In the game of chess, it's a strategy to eliminate the queen to win the game
And then you mate it
After eliminating the queen, you make strategic moves to win the game
Oh I, do you?
Asking the listener if they have the capability to follow through with such a strategy
A funny thing, the king who gets himself assassinated
Ironically, the king who sets himself up to lose is the one who ultimately loses the game
Hey now, every time i lose
Expressing frustration at losing repeatedly
Altitude
A metaphor for success or a high status
You took a town by storm
Describing a successful takeover or domination
The mess you made was nominated
The chaotic aftermath of your actions was noticed and recognized
Now put away your welcome, soon you'll find you've overstayed it
You were initially welcomed, but now it's time to leave before you've become a nuisance
So divine, hell of an elevator
Describing the highs and lows of life, which can be both divine and hellish
All the while my fortune faded
Throughout the ups and downs, the singer's luck or success has been slowly disappearing
Nevermind the consequences of the crime this time
Ignoring the punishment or guilt associated with committing a crime
The medicated state of mind you find is overrated
Being under the influence of drugs or medication is not always the answer or solution
You saw it all come down and now it's time to imitate it
Observing a situation play out and now it's time to replicate it
Come on God, do I seem bulletproof?
Asking a higher power if the singer is invincible or immune to harm
Ooooooooooh
A vocalization or sound effect used for emphasis or emotional impact
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MICHAEL BALZARY, JOHN FRUSCIANTE, ANTHONY KIEDIS, CHAD SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sergioyp3607
They say in chess you've got to kill the queen, and then you've made it
Oh, I, do you?
A funny thing, a king who gets himself assassinated
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
You took a town by storm, the mess you made was nominated
Oh, I, do you?
Now put away your welcome, soon you'll find you've overstayed it
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
The medicated state of mind you've found is overrated
Oh, I, do you?
You saw it all come down, and now it's time to imitate it
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
Come on, God, do I seem bulletproof?
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
@andojugandoo
They say in chess, you gotta kill the queen
And then you mate it
Oh I, do you?
A funny thing, the king who gets himself assassinated
Hey now, every time i lose
Altitude
You took a town by storm
The mess you made was nominated
Oh I, do you?
Now put away your welcome, soon you'll find you've overstayed it
Hey now, every time I lose
Altitude
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind the consequences of the crime this time
My fortune faded
The medicated state of mind you find is overrated
Oh I, do you?
You saw it all come down and now it's time to imitate it
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind the consequences of the crime this time
My fortune faded
Come on God, do I seem bulletproof?
Ooooooooooh
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind the consequences of the crime this time
My fortune faded
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind the consequences of the crime this time
My fortune faded
@martialwharf7724
[Verse 1]
They say in chess you've got to
Kill the queen and then you've made it
Oh, I, do you?
A funny thing the king who
Gets himself assassinated
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
[Verse 2]
You took a town by storm
The mess you made was nominated
Oh, I, do you?
Now put away your welcome
Soon you'll find you've overstayed it
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
[Chorus]
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
[Verse 3]
The medicated state of mind, you've found is overrated
Oh, I, do you?
You saw it all come down and now it's time to imitate it
Hey now, every time I lose altitude
[Chorus]
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
[Bridge]
Come on, God, do I seem bulletproof?
[Chorus]
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
[Chorus]
So divine, hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Never mind the consequences of the crime
This time my fortune faded
@Neveriso
Lyrics :
They say in chess you've got to kill the queen
And then you made it
Oh, why?
Do you?
A funny thing the king who gets himself assasinated
Hey now
Every time I lose
Altitude
You took a town by storm the mess you made was nominated
Oh, why?
Do you?
Now put away your welcome, soon you'll find you've over stayed it
Hey now
Every time I lose
Altitude
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's faded
The medicated state of mind you've found is over rated
Oh, why?
Do you?
You saw it all come down and now its time to imitate it
Hey, now
Every time I lose
Altitude
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's faded
Come on god
Do I seem bullet proof?
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's faded
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's fadedThey say in chess you've got to kill the queen
And then you made it
Oh, why?
Do you?
A funny thing the king who gets himself assasinated
Hey now
Every time I lose
Altitude
You took a town by storm the mess you made was nominated
Oh, why?
Do you?
Now put away your welcome, soon you'll find you've over stayed it
Hey now
Every time I lose
Altitude
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's faded
The medicated state of mind you've found is over rated
Oh, why?
Do you?
You saw it all come down and now its time to imitate it
Hey, now
Every time I lose
Altitude
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's faded
Come on god
Do I seem bullet proof?
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's faded
So divine
Hell of an elevator
All the while my fortune faded
Nevermind
The consequences of the crime this time
My fortune's faded
@RedHotChiliPeppers
On this day in 2003, the music video for “Fortune Faded” was released. Directed by Laurent Briet.
@ClaudiuFabianMilea
Great song and beautiful video.
@NotMyEarthNotMyProblem
sick
@percyrog
Amazing and crazy song
@ellensc331
love it
@valerieciccomusicofficial
cool vid ! lumineux !!
@lightningvolt1273
John has the best back up voice in the world. Makes every song sound even better
@herukuswara9233
Syn gates too
@minecraft_slayer887p7
Ikr
@RizalCA
Daron Malakian