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Stadium Arcadium
Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bells around Saint Petersburg
When I saw you

I hope I get what you deserve
And this is where I find

Smoke surrounds your perfect face
And I'm falling

Pushing a broom out into space
And this where I find the way

The stadium arcadium
A mirror to the moon (a mirror to the moon)
Well I'm forming and I'm warning
State of the art
Until the clouds come crashing

Stranger things have happened
Both before and after noon (before and after noon)
Well I'm forming and I'm warning
Pushin' myself
And no I don't mind asking
Now

Alone inside my forest room
And it's storming

I never thought I'd be in bloom
But this is where I start

Derelict days and the stereo plays
For the all night crowd
That it cannot phase
And I'm calling

Tedious weeds that the media breeds
But the animal gets what the animal needs
And I'm sorry

The stadium arcadium
A mirror to the moon (a mirror to the moon)
Well I'm forming and I'm warning
State of the art
Until the clouds come crashing

Stranger things have happened
Both before and after noon (before and after noon)
Well I'm forming and I'm warming
Pushin' myself
And no I don't mind asking
Now

And this is where I find

Rays of dust that wrap around
Your citizen

Kind enough to disavow
And this is where I stand

The stadium arcadium
A mirror to the moon (a mirror to the moon)
Well I'm forming and I'm warning
State of the art
Until the clouds come crashing

Stranger things have happened
Both before and after noon (before and after noon)
And I'm forming and I'm warning
Pushin' myself
And no I don't mind asking

The stadium arcadium
A mirror to the moon (a mirror to the moon)
Well I'm forming and I'm warning
State of the art
Until the clouds come crashing

Stranger things have happened
Both before and after noon (before and after noon)
Well I'm forming and I'm warning
To you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Stadium Arcadium" by Red Hot Chili Peppers are open to interpretation, as with many of their songs. The opening lines mention bells around Saint Petersburg, and the singer hopes to get what the object of his affection deserves. Smoke is described as surrounding the perfect face of said object of affection, and the singer is falling. He then pushes a broom out into space and finds a way to the stadium arcadium, which is described as a mirror to the moon - a state of the art location until the clouds come crashing. The singer admits that stranger things have happened both before and after noon, but he's not afraid to push himself and no mind asking. He finds himself alone in a forest room in the midst of a storm, and he acknowledges that he is in bloom at this point.


The singer notes that derelict days and the stereo play for the all-night crowd, but it can't phase him. He calls out the tedious weeds that the media breeds, but acknowledges that the animal gets what the animal needs, and apologizes for it. Rays of dust are described as wrapping around a citizen, who is kind enough to disavow. And this is where the singer stands - at the stadium arcadium.


One interpretation of the song is that it's about the journey of self-exploration and self-discovery. The singer is wandering through unknown territory, trying to find their way to the stadium arcadium, which could represent their ultimate destination or goal. They encounter obstacles and distractions along the way but push themselves to keep going. The lyrics could also be about seeking validation and recognition, with the bells around Saint Petersburg representing an external recognition of worth. The singer acknowledges the influence of the media but doesn't let it deter them from their path.


Line by Line Meaning

Bells around Saint Petersburg When I saw you
I heard the bells ringing around Saint Petersburg when I first saw you


I hope I get what you deserve And this is where I find
I hope you get everything you deserve, and this is where I come to find my own path


Smoke surrounds your perfect face And I'm falling
I am captivated by the smoke swirling around your face, and I feel myself falling for you


Pushing a broom out into space And this where I find the way
I feel like I'm lost in a vast, empty space, but it's here that I find my direction


The stadium arcadium A mirror to the moon (a mirror to the moon) Well I'm forming and I'm warning State of the art Until the clouds come crashing
The stadium arcadium is like a reflection of the moon, and I am making my message clear with all the latest technology until something goes wrong


Stranger things have happened Both before and after noon (before and after noon) Well I'm forming and I'm warning Pushin' myself And no I don't mind asking Now
I know strange things happen at all times of the day, but I am determined to push myself and ask for what I want now


Alone inside my forest room And it's storming I never thought I'd be in bloom But this is where I start
I am alone in my own private place, and there is chaos all around, but I am beginning to flourish here and this is where I start to grow


Derelict days and the stereo plays For the all night crowd That it cannot phase And I'm calling
Even on the worst of days, the music plays on and the crowd remains unfazed, and I am calling out anyway


Tedious weeds that the media breeds But the animal gets what the animal needs And I'm sorry
The media churns out boring content, but the public still consumes it because it's what they need, and I am apologizing for contributing to that cycle


Rays of dust that wrap around Your citizen Kind enough to disavow And this is where I stand
I see rays of dust swirling around your being, and you are kind enough to reject them, but this is where I find myself standing


The stadium arcadium A mirror to the moon (a mirror to the moon) Well I'm forming and I'm warning State of the art Until the clouds come crashing
The stadium arcadium reflects the moon perfectly, and I am making my message clear with all the latest technology until it all comes crashing down


Stranger things have happened Both before and after noon (before and after noon) And I'm forming and I'm warning Pushin' myself And no I don't mind asking
I know strange things happen at all times of the day, but I am determined to push myself and ask for what I want


The stadium arcadium A mirror to the moon (a mirror to the moon) Well I'm forming and I'm warning State of the art Until the clouds come crashing
The stadium arcadium is like a reflection of the moon, and I am making my message clear with all the latest technology until something goes wrong


Stranger things have happened Both before and after noon (before and after noon) Well I'm forming and I'm warning To you
I know strange things happen at all times of the day, and I am trying to convey a message to you through my music




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Michael 'Flea' Balzary, John Frusciante

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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