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.
Tell Me Baby
Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some dreams were meant to be declined
Tell the man what did you have in mind
What have you come to do?
No turning water into wine
No learning while you're in the line
I'll take you to the broken sign
Come and get it
Lost it at the city limit
Say goodbye
'Cause they will find a way to trim it
Everybody
Lookin' for a silly gimmick
Gotta get away
Can't take it for another minute
This town is made of many things
Just look at what the current brings
So high, it's only promising
This place was made on you
Tell me, baby, what's your story
Where you come from
And where you wanna go this time?
Tell me, lover, are you lonely?
The thing we need is
Never all that hard to find
Tell me, baby, what's your story
Where do you come from
And where you wanna go this time?
You're so lovely, are you lonely?
Giving up on the innocence you left behind
Some claim to have the fortitude
Too shrewd to blow the interlude
Sustaining pain to set a mood
Step out to be renewed
I'll move you like a baritone
Jungle brothers on the microphone
Getting over with an undertone
It's time to turn to stone
Chitty chitty, baby
When your nose is in the nitty gritty
Life could be a little sweet
But life could be a little shitty
What a pity
Boston and a Kansas city
Looking for a hundred
But you only ever found a fitty
Three fingers in the honeycomb
You ring just like a xylophone
Devoted to the chromosome
The day that you left home
Tell me, baby, what's your story
Where you come from
And where you wanna go this time?
Tell me, lover, are you lonely?
The thing we need is
Never all that hard to find
Tell me, baby, what's your story
Where you come from
And where you wanna go this time?
You're so lovely, are you lonely?
Giving up on the innocence you left behind
Tell me, baby, what's your story
Where you come from
And where you wanna go this time?
Tell me, lover, are you lonely?
The thing we need is
Never all that hard to find
Tell me, baby, what's your story
Where you come from
And where you wanna go this time?
You're so lovely, are you lonely?
Giving up on the innocence you left behind
In the first verse of "Tell Me Baby," the lead singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis, describes a scene in which people come from all over the country to chase their dreams, only to find disappointment. He asks one of these people what they've come to do, implying that they may not have a clear idea themselves. He also dismisses the idea of miracles and learning while standing in a line. Instead, he takes them to see a broken sign with blue lights, perhaps showcasing the broken promises of the city they're in.
The chorus of the song consists of Kiedis asking questions and making observations about people's lives. He asks about their stories, where they're from, and where they want to go. He also comments on how even though people may be looking for something specific, they may not need to work hard to find it, saying "the thing we need is never all that hard to find." He also remarks on how people give up on their innocence and dreams, which again could reference how the people he mentioned earlier in the song come to the city looking for something, only to be disappointed.
The second verse is more abstract, with Kiedis speaking on the experiences people go through and how those experiences can shape them. He comments on how some people think they have what it takes to face their fears or endure their pain, but in reality, they may be too smart for their own good. He then promises to "move [them] like a baritone," referring to how music has the power to influence emotions. He also references the Jungle Brothers, a hip-hop group from the late '80s/early '90s, and how they can inspire action. Finally, he makes a reference to "three fingers in the honeycomb," which could be euphemistic for someone who's lost their virginity.
Overall, "Tell Me Baby" seems to be a commentary on the struggles of life and how people try to overcome them. Kiedis sings about how people leave their homes and come to the city looking for something better, only to get caught up in the same cycle of disappointments and compromises. He suggests that people don't need to work so hard to find what they want and emphasizes the importance of holding onto one's innocence.
Line by Line Meaning
They come from every state to find
People from all over the country come to this town looking for something.
Some dreams were meant to be declined
Not everyone who comes here will achieve their dreams.
Tell the man what did you have in mind
What are your intentions? Tell me.
What have you come to do?
Why are you here?
No turning water into wine
Don't expect miracles to happen.
No learning while you're in the line
You won't learn anything if you just stay in one place all the time.
I'll take you to the broken sign
I'll show you the parts of this town that aren't perfect.
You see these lights are blue
The lights in this town aren't always bright and cheerful.
Come and get it
Come and try your luck here.
Lost it at the city limit
Some people come here with big dreams but give up before even entering the city limits.
Say goodbye
Some people leave this town if they can't find what they're looking for.
'Cause they will find a way to trim it
The people here will find a way to make money off anything, even if they have to cut corners.
Everybody
Everyone who comes to this town.
Lookin' for a silly gimmick
Some people come to this town looking for something unique or attention-grabbing.
Gotta get away
Some people need to leave this town to find what they're looking for.
Can't take it for another minute
Some people get tired of this town quickly because it's not what they expected.
This town is made of many things
This town is diverse and has a lot to offer.
Just look at what the current brings
This town is constantly changing and evolving.
So high, it's only promising
There's a lot of potential in this town.
This place was made on you
You were meant to come to this town and make something of yourself.
Tell me, baby, what's your story
What brought you here?
Where you come from
What's your background?
And where you wanna go this time?
What are your goals while you're here?
Tell me, lover, are you lonely?
Do you feel alone in this town?
The thing we need is
What we're missing here is
Never all that hard to find
Easy to come by if you know where to look.
Giving up on the innocence you left behind
You've lost your innocence since you came to this town.
Some claim to have the fortitude
Some people say they're tough enough to handle anything.
Too shrewd to blow the interlude
Too smart to waste time on something insignificant.
Sustaining pain to set a mood
Some people think that experiencing pain will inspire creativity.
Step out to be renewed
Sometimes you need to leave this town to find a fresh start.
I'll move you like a baritone
I'll inspire you with my music.
Jungle brothers on the microphone
We're a wild, untamed group of musicians.
Getting over with an undertone
We're successful, but there's still something lurking beneath the surface.
It's time to turn to stone
It's time to become more hard-hearted, less naive.
Chitty chitty, baby
Hey there
When your nose is in the nitty gritty
When you're down in the dirt, working hard.
Life could be a little sweet
Life can be good sometimes.
But life could be a little shitty
But life can be tough too.
What a pity
It's too bad.
Boston and a Kansas city
Different types of cities.
Looking for a hundred
Trying to find something valuable.
But you only ever found a fitty
But what you found wasn't as valuable as you thought it would be.
Three fingers in the honeycomb
Making progress and achieving success.
You ring just like a xylophone
You sound like music when you speak.
Devoted to the chromosome
Dedicated to one's genetic makeup or destiny.
The day that you left home
The day you left your old life behind and came to this town.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Michael Balzary, John Anthony Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@harleyfee364
I dont think many people understand the genius of this video.
Multiple reshoots. Different wannabe stars at different points in the song. Multiple playthroughs to choreograph each person at the right point in the song.
This was RHCP giving back and giving hope to all the folks who wanted to "make it" in the music industry.
Thing about the patience of a human being then go through the same song 12,000 times with the same hype and motivation each time to make it special for each "wannabe" in their music video.
That takes love, admiration and respect.
@RedHotChiliPeppers
It has been confirmed that the Red Hot Chili Peppers will embark on a world tour in 2022! Sign up on https://redhotchilipeppers.com for more information.
@rhondab.e8545
Hey Bebe! :)
@williamandrescapacherotama4796
Una de mis bandas favoritas, saludos desde COLOMBIA, un fuerte abarazo
@rhondab.e8545
@@williamandrescapacherotama4796 I'm in Oregon and I have to agree with you. Salud (God bless) to you and yours. I'm not fluent in your language but I hope you understand what I mean ;) ~R
@rhondab.e8545
As an aside; when most of us make the "devil horns" sign with our hands we usually just mean "Rock On" which can/typically mean "Amen" which translates to "I believe".
@danielgomez7-c303
@@williamandrescapacherotama4796 mano yo tambien lo escucho desde colombia wooooo
@NicksStrengthandPower
This song always gets me in the feels
@nathanmeyer5364
Haha Nick, what a surprise! Do a video on Anthony’s physique over the years!
@rumham2834
Wow. Nick is here?!
@vericaruzic7697
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