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.
Let's Make Evil
Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's make good
I'd do anything I could
Just to get you in my dirty wood
Go down on you
Seventeen and thirty-one
I am just my mother's son
All the mothers come undone
At the sight of me
The water's falling clear
Interiors deceive I fear
I think I'll kiss my shame away
My prudence is not dear
Inside out and feeling weird
I think I'll kiss my shame away
Let's get soft
Let's get hard
Let's get off in my backyard
Where the desert wind
Will wash our skin
A lighter red
Let's make peace
Let's make war
Let's break into heaven for
A dance with heaven's devils or
Is that more than you can store
Inside your head
The water's falling clear
Interiors deceive I fear
I think I'll kiss my shame away
My prudence is not dear
Inside out and feeling weird
I think I'll kiss my shame away
I don't want to live alone
Get on my throne
Slay my shame
Slay my shame
Let's get gentle
Let's get pissed
Get your knickers in a twist
Cause the angel and the devil kiss
They fell in love
Some seem dirty
Some stay clean
Something from a madman's dream
Am I really what I seem?
Rising to my head like cream
It feels so strange
The water's falling clear
Interiors deceive I fear
I think I'll kiss my shame away
My prudence is not dear
Inside out and feeling weird
I think I'll kiss my shame away
Slay my shame
Slay my shame
I don't want to live alone
Get on my throne
Slay my shame
Slay my shame
The lyrics to Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Let's Make Evil" seem to explore themes of power, desire, and shame. The first stanza sets the scene with the singer expressing a willingness to do anything to get the person of their desire, even if it's morally questionable: "Let's make evil / Let's make good / I'd do anything I could / Just to get you in my dirty wood / Go down on you."
The second stanza gives some insight into the singer's character, describing them as a bit of a player who knows how to charm the mothers of other people: "Seventeen and thirty-one / I am just my mother's son / Brown eyes and a silver tongue / All the mothers come undone / At the sight of me."
As the song continues, the singer suggests exploring different sides of themselves and their desires, from softness to aggression, from peace to war: "Let's get gentle / Let's get pissed / Get your knickers in a twist / Cause the angel and the devil kiss / They fell in love." However, throughout the song, there is a sense of shame that the singer wants to "slay" or get rid of: "Slay my shame / Slay my shame / I don't want to live alone / Get on my throne / Slay my shame / Slay my shame."
Overall, the lyrics of "Let's Make Evil" seem to be exploring the complex interplay between desire, morality, shame, and power, suggesting that human beings have the capacity for both good and evil, and that these forces exist in a delicate balance within each of us.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's make evil
Let's be reckless and do things that are considered 'wrong' by societal standards
Let's make good
Let's also do things that are considered 'right' by societal standards
I'd do anything I could
I am willing to go to great lengths to have you
Just to get you in my dirty wood
I want to bring you to a place where we can be intimate
Go down on you
Perform oral sex on you
Seventeen and thirty-one
The ages of the singer and their lover respectively
I am just my mother's son
I am nothing without my mother, I am just a product of her existence
Brown eyes and a silver tongue
I have charming looks and can talk my way out of any situation
All the mothers come undone
I have a way of making mothers feel uncomfortable or aroused
At the sight of me
Just by seeing me, I have an effect on people
The water's falling clear
There is clarity in my mind, despite the chaos and confusion around me
Interiors deceive I fear
Despite appearances, I am not who I seem to be on the inside
I think I'll kiss my shame away
I will suppress my guilt and regret by indulging in pleasures
My prudence is not dear
I do not value caution or carefulness, and will take risks without thinking
Inside out and feeling weird
I am exposed and vulnerable, but I cannot shake this uneasy feeling
Let's get soft
Let's be gentle and romantic
Let's get hard
Let's be rough and aggressive
Let's get off in my backyard
Let's have sex outdoors
Where the desert wind
In an arid and desolate place
Will wash our skin
The elements will clean us and renew us
A lighter red
Our skin will become shades of pink due to exposure to the elements
Let's make peace
Let's be harmonious and work out our problems
Let's make war
Let's argue and fight
Let's break into heaven for
Let's push the boundaries and do something daring or risky
A dance with heaven's devils or
I am willing to engage in sin or immoral behavior to achieve my desires
Is that more than you can store
Are you afraid of the risks or consequences that come with indulging in sin?
Inside your head
The fear or hesitation is in your own mind
I don't want to live alone
I crave companionship and intimacy
Get on my throne
Come and sit beside me as an equal
Slay my shame
Let's indulge in pleasures and forget our insecurities
Let's get gentle
Let's be tender and slow
Let's get pissed
Let's get drunk and uninhibited
Get your knickers in a twist
Get worked up or agitated over something
Cause the angel and the devil kiss
The artist and their lover come from different backgrounds or lifestyles, but they are attracted to each other's differences
They fell in love
Despite their differences and the societal boundaries that separate them, they have formed a romantic bond
Some seem dirty
There are things or people that are considered impure or immoral
Some stay clean
There are things or people that are considered pure or moral
Something from a madman's dream
This situation or relationship is unlikely or unrealistic
Am I really what I seem?
The singer is questioning their own identity and whether it matches their outward appearance
Rising to my head like cream
The doubt or confusion is getting stronger and more intense
It feels so strange
The artist is uncomfortable and unsure in this situation
Contributed by Joseph N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fli
Dave is killing on a guitar
Stijn Krooshoop
CHAD FUCKING SMITH! AWESOME TIMING ON DRUMS! :D
Sherlock Mowg
I'm starting to think this is RHCP's best song
Mind Hunter
what??? ahahaha
Ghost Note Creative Works
Such a great song. Chris what the original tracklist was..... Stretch came after one big mob..... A song called blender before transcending .... Google it. It's all coming back
Cynthia kent
~``~ I Like it ,,, :)
Denis Patrick
Cynthia kent I like you
A Google User
better then some of the stuff on O.H.M.
Jamal Williams
havent hear this one before
Amit Kasif
my friends and this one
los marveliosos