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
Throw Away Your Television
Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time to make this clean decision
Master waits for it's collision now
It's a repeat of a story told
It's a repeat and it's getting old
Throw away your televisionMake a break, big intermission
Recreate your supervision now
It's a repeat of a story told
It's a repeat and it's getting old
Renegades with fancy gauges
Slay the plague for it's contagious
Pull the plug and take the stages
Throw away your television now
Oy, oy, oy
Throw away your television
Take the noose off your ambition
Reinvent your intuition now
It's a repeat of a story told
It's a repeat and it's getting old
Renegades with fancy gauges
Slay the plague, for it's contagious
Pull the plug and take the stages
Throw away your television now
Throw away your television
Alleviate this ill condition now
It's a repeat
It's a repeat
It's a repeat
It's a repeat
It's a repeat
"Throw Away Your Television" is a call to action for people to step away from the monotony of mass media and repetitive entertainment. The first verse suggests making a clean decision to throw away the television and avoid the collision with the habitual and cyclical nature of watching commercial television. The song repeats the idea of an old story being told over and over again, which suggests a lack of creativity and individuality within society and the media itself.
The second verse begins with a call to action to "renegades with fancy gauges," likely referring to musicians or creatives who have taken the reins of their own careers and are not reliant on the mainstream media. These individuals are able to slay the "plague" of media consumption that is often unoriginal and contagious. By pulling the plug and taking the stage, these renegades are able to escape the cage of repetitive and uninspired media.
The final verse urges listeners to take control of their own lives and "reinvent your intuition," rather than being fed information and entertainment through the television. The song suggests that repetitive media is an "ill condition" that can be overcome by rejecting it and elevating one's own thoughts and ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
Throw away your television
Get rid of the device that controls what you see and how you think
Time to make this clean decision
It's time to take control of your own life and make important choices
Master waits for it's collision now
The world is on the brink of chaos and destruction
It's a repeat of a story told
The same problems keep happening over and over
It's a repeat and it's getting old
The repetition of these problems is tiring and frustrating
Make a break big intermission
Take a bold and significant pause in your current routine
Recreate your super vision now
Create a new and inspiring way of seeing the world
Renegades with fancy gauges
People who go against the norm and have advanced tools
Slay the plague for it's contagious
Fight against the dangerous and infectious problems in society
Pull the plug and take the stages
Disconnect yourself from mindless entertainment and take action
Take the noose off your ambition
Release yourself from self-made pressure and expectations
Reinvent your intuition now
Develop a new sense of instinct to guide your decisions
Salivate to repetition
Become obsessed and addicted to routine
Leviate this ill condition now
Rise above the negative circumstances and improve the situation
It's a repeat
The problem keeps happening again
It's a repeat
The problem keeps happening again
It's a repeat
The problem keeps happening again
It's a repeat
The problem keeps happening again
It's a repeat
The problem keeps happening again
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MICHAEL BALZARY, JOHN FRUSCIANTE, ANTHONY KIEDIS, CHAD SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex Alvarez
on Californication
People who harness the power of the mind try to manipulate your emotions
Young girls aspire to Hollywood fame and fortune while reciting memorable movie quotes
If you desire superficial fame and materialistic success, California is the place to be
California represents the epitome of the quintessential Western society
Although the sun rises in the East, California remains a constant and established location in contrast to the ever-changing world
Hollywood creates and sells the illusion of the California dream
Spend a lot of money to prevent or delay the physical symptoms of aging
The superficial appearance of celebrities can be deceiving; they may be fighting a personal battle to maintain their image
The rarities and impossible things that are unique to California
The explicit and suggestive nature of the entertainment industry in California
Marry me and be my inspiration to create new things and leave a mark in the world
Young women with information and resources at their disposal may make decisions that lead them down certain paths, such as becoming pregnant at a young age
Owning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a symbol of achieving fame and fortune, representative of the Californian dream
Despite space being seen as the most uncertain and mysterious frontier, the idea of it is created by Hollywood and is not a reality
Kurt Cobain, who died before the song was written, may still be listening to music in another realm
The fictional planet Alderaan from Star Wars represents another aspect of the Californian dream or illusion created by Hollywood
People in California are often raised with the idea that control over population is important and necessary
Everyone has experienced being controlled or manipulating others in some way, which is not limited to people being on vacation
While destruction can lead to difficult times, it can also provide the opportunity for new and creative things to be born
Earthquakes, which may be seen as destructive and terrifying, can also be seen as inspiring or beneficial, similar to how a girl's guitar strings vibrate to produce beautiful music
Even in the face of disaster, the draw and allure of the Californian dream or illusion created by Hollywood remains strong
There is no way to measure someone's mental or emotional state, but perhaps you crave these superficial things that come with the Californian illusion
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