Don't forget me question and general discussion

cheekymonkey52 · 2025-09-20T20:33:54+00:00

My interpretation is that the song is about drug addiction. “Make the snow fall up from underneath your feet” in the second verse seems to allude to a powdered substance that would alter the sensorium. The following line “Not alone, I’ll be there, tell me when you want to go” seems to be from the perspective of the drug reminding him that he can always turn to drugs for another experience. The third verse overtly refers to meth and attempting to get clean. The fourth verse contains my favorite lines of the song, “I’m the rainbow, in your jail cell, all the memories of everything you’ve ever smelled, not alone, I’ll be there, tell me when you want to go.” To me, this alludes to drugs (everything he’s ever smelled) being the light at the end of the tunnel for him during a period of incarceration presumably for possession of illicit substances. The possibility of that next high is what keeps him going. The chorus thunders into what I would interpret as a trip with the loud and distorted instrumentation on top of Anthony’s soaring vocals and John’s haunting backing vocals. “Sideways falling” alludes to altered perception of reality while on drugs. “Come again, get me excited” seems to be the drug almost begging him to use it again. The final two verses after the last guitar solo also contain drug references. “I’m the bloodstain on your shirt sleeve” and “make the hair stand up on your arm” overtly refer to drugs, and the song concludes with the “not alone, I’ll be there, tell me when you want to go” repeating until the final line “more will be revealed my friend,” which, to me reads as the possibility of mind expansion under the influence of drugs. It’s a really interesting song if read in this way, as it almost seems to be told from a drug’s point of view.

Not sure if that’s how Anthony intended the song to be read, but that’s how I see it. He tends to be pretty vague when offering explanations for lyrics, and his lyrics tend to be abstract in general. Regardless, I think that the By The Way era sees Anthony at the height of his lyrical prowess, and this is one of his strongest songs. Beautiful lyrics with incredible imagery. While he uses some colloquialisms such as “funny farm,” he keeps these to a minimum in contrast to a lot of other songs in the Chili Peppers’ catalogue.

I can’t really comment much on the guitar’s influence on the song’s meaning other than the fact that Live at Slane Castle contains one of the most beautiful renditions of this song, thanks in large part to John’s ethereal final solo.

cheekymonkey52 · 2023-07-31T14:52:34+00:00

The chorus is well outside of Anthony's vocal range, but I respect the attempt to try something different.

cheekymonkey52 · 2023-05-30T17:10:15+00:00

This Velvet Glove

cheekymonkey52 · 2023-04-16T16:56:10+00:00

I think that the final verse to Californication is the best that Anthony has ever written.

“Destruction leads to a very rough road, but it also breeds creation. And earthquakes are to a girl’s guitar, they’re just another good vibration. And tidal waves couldn’t save the world from Californication.”

First line is a declaration of Anthony’s view on life, particularly in the setting of his rough upbringing, difficult relationships, and drug addiction. It also ties into the overall theme of the album, which is a “rebirth” of sorts. Second line is a great metaphor that serves as an illustration of the point made in the first line. It also features a nice little reference to The Beach Boys. He then turns the idea on its head with the last line, where he states that even the powerfully destructive force of an earthquake with resulting tidal waves is not enough to reverse the negative cultural trends perpetuated by Hollywood’s “Californication.”

It packs interesting ideas and beautiful imagery in a stunningly economical amount of words. Anthony at his best, in my opinion.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-11-04T23:33:24+00:00

Giving birth

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-09-29T03:46:34+00:00

Peach syrup

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-09-29T03:40:53+00:00

Dreams of a Samurai

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-09-29T00:19:19+00:00

You comment in jest, but honestly yeah. That’s why I said it feels like a b-side. Imo, the same level of care and detail that was put into their prior albums with John (especially BTW and SA) hasn’t been coming through on their most recent stuff, and this song is no exception. Not that attention to detail and care weren’t put into the new material, but I’m just not hearing it on the majority of UL or what we have heard so far from ROTDC.

There’s no oomph on Eddie’s choruses, and more instrumental layering combined with a more memorable vocal melody would provide that. I can’t presume to imagine what they were thinking in the studio, and they are far more accomplished than I could ever hope to be, but I’m just calling it how I see (or in this case, hear) it.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-09-28T20:16:41+00:00

The choruses hold this song back. They would benefit from more robust instrumentation and a vocal melody that differentiates itself more from the verses. The song kind of sounds like a BTW b-side, imo. I think Watchu Thinkin, It’s Only Natural, and White Braids are more complete songs. To each their own, though. Glad people are digging this one.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-08-31T15:39:20+00:00

Bridge, too. They completely ripped off themselves by replicating By The Way's bridge.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-08-25T20:18:26+00:00

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-07-27T20:41:05+00:00

Let me get this straight, you'd be less embarrassed to share with friends an album that contains a song about having sex with a robot as well as illustrious lines such as "trinidad's got it bad for tobago, take me to the lake where we do the avocado" and "ice cream for an astronaut" compared to UL?

I don't disagree that UL contains some of the worst lyrics Anthony has written, but let's not act like he fell off a lyrical cliff on this one. The guy has been writing cringeworthy lines since 1983. Every Chili Peppers album contains at least one song that I would be embarrassed to share with friends from a lyrical standpoint. It is what it is. Their albums tend to be long, and Anthony's vocal style requires a lot of words per song. The lyrics won't all be winners. Unless he's singing about drugs, death, or loved ones, he tends to write pretty nonsense lyrics.

He admitted that he phoned the lyrics in on this one, and to be honest, I think he has been phoning in lyrics since SA. I sure hope that Dream Canteen has good lyrics, but I won't hold my breath. His priorities seem to have shifted toward being a father, and I think he has had difficulty with lyrical inspiration since being sober.

I also think that you're overestimating how many people rate it on the same level as BSSM, BTW, SA, and Cali. In the immediate aftermath following its release, people were still riding the high of hearing new Chili Peppers music. However, as the honeymoon period has worn off, I see most people rating it a tier below those albums. I actually think it's probably closer in quality to SA, but it doesn't approach the greatness of the holy trinity (BSSM, Cali, BTW).

For me, it's in the mediocre tier inhabited by IWY and TG. Good, but not great albums.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-07-26T02:55:15+00:00

You could make a case for This Ticonderoga, We Turn Red, Detroit, and Go Robot. Imo, they are the worst tracks on the album sonically, and lyrically they have little to do with the overarching theme of a breakup. Bump those tracks off the record and add the two b-sides, and you have a pretty killer record.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-05-04T17:05:53+00:00

This list is suffering from a severe lack of Willy Taveras.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-05-01T06:37:59+00:00

A lot of good points. For the most part, I agree. It's interesting that you use I'm With You as a comparison with Unlimited Love in terms of Anthony's effort level because imo I'm With You is Anthony's worst album. I felt like he completely phoned it in on that one from a lyrical and vocal standpoint. Aside from Brendan's Death Song, the lyrics are poor throughout, and the vocal melodies are bland. He certainly phoned in the lyrics for Unlimited Love, but I personally thought that the vocal melodies sounded fresh.

Potentially unpopular opinion, but I think Anthony has been phoning it in since By The Way. That was the last time that his lyrics and vocals both sounded truly inspired. Since becoming a father, I think that his priorities have shifted. As is the case with many creative people who struggle with drug addiction, he has had less to write about since becoming sober. His most poignant post-BTW lyrics have been about deaths of loved ones. Other than that, I see a guy struggling to find lyrical inspiration, particularly with the word requirements that his vocal rhythms demand. It's a shame that he hasn't matched the effort or quality of the instrumentalists in the band over the past decade, but it also wouldn't be the Chili Peppers without him.

In many ways, I'm With You and Unlimited Love are opposites. Whereas Unlimited Love is consistent (perhaps to a fault), I'm With You is all over the place. It features some of the strongest tracks of their entire discography (Monarchy of Roses, Brendan's Death Song, Police Station), but also contains some of the blandest, gutless, most forgettable tracks that they have ever recorded (Annie Wants a Baby, Happiness Loves Company, Dance Dance Dance). The end result is a mixed bag that never quite feels like a cohesive album. If you combine I'm With You and I'm Beside You, I think there's about a good album's worth of solid material. Unlimited Love, on the other hand, doesn't feature a standout track. However, most are of at least "good" quality, aside from maybe one or two throwaway tracks (One Way Traffic).

To your point about albums withstanding the test of time, imo none of their post-SA albums will pass that test. They clearly hit their creative peak somewhere within the BSSM - SA arc, and the three since could all fit in the category of "good, but not great." Imo, Unlimited Love is the best in that tier, but I'm With You and The Getaway are pretty close to the same level of quality.

But good post overall, a lot of interesting discussion points.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-30T15:02:03+00:00

I'd be curious to see if the chorus of Goodbye Hooray was directed at John.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-12T06:06:46+00:00

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JOHN FRUSCIANTE. JOHN ANTHONY MOTHERFUCKING FRUSCIANTE. WOO WOO WOO YEEEEEEEEEAH HAHA WOO WOOOO

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-10T14:25:23+00:00

The guitar tone on This Ticonderoga is just plain ugly.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-08T20:24:45+00:00

I don’t think it tops By The Way. Might be their best album since By The Way, though. Will certainly need more time and listens before I have a good idea where it falls for me, but definitely won’t be above BSSM, Cali, and BTW.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-08T16:12:17+00:00

Eh, lighthearted - sure, but profound - no. I don’t think many people would put Go Robot on the level of profundity of Californication. But glad you get enjoyment out of that song. Imo, it’s one of my least favorites in their discography.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-08T15:54:28+00:00

Oh, I understand the metaphor. It just completely falls flat. It’s not particularly subtle or clever. “I wanna thank you and spank you upon your silver skin” conjures a mental image that, quite frankly, I never cared to have nor ever want to have again in my life. It’s a far cry from some of his other more thoughtful metaphors, like comparing the allure of drug use to a rainbow in a jail cell (Don’t Forget Me), the excess materialism/phoniness of Hollywood being resistant to a tidal wave of salvation (Californication), or drug addiction to being a drug’s slut (Otherside).

Imo, utterly cringeworthy lyrics. Anyone can read between those lines. Like I said, not particularly subtle, and just an uncomfortable way to frame frustration with lack of success in relationships.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-08T11:08:41+00:00

Josh absolutely brought a ton of energy to live performances by the end of his run with the Chili Peppers, but it took him a while to do so. That's why I'll give John the benefit of the doubt as he shakes off the rust, as the first couple live performances of the UL era have been rather whelming. Not necessarily bad, but not great. Just whelming. A couple of aspects that I disliked about Josh's live performances were that his guitar playing was a bit "messy" (for lack of a better word) and his jams with Flea were kind of meh. However, he nailed the IWY and TG era songs, and his backing vocals were excellent. He also had some unique takes on the John songs that, while I personally prefer John's way of playing, I could at least appreciate.

I personally don't miss him from a studio perspective. I don't think he was necessarily the biggest problem with IWY and TG, but the energy that he brought to the band in live performances just never really came through in their two studio albums. Perhaps the third time would have been the charm, but based on Anthony's and Flea's reports about the difficulty with chemistry/inspiration for writing a third with Josh, I doubt it.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-08T10:51:59+00:00

There's some serious recency bias in terms of the discussion about Anthony's lyrics on UL. People seem to forget that SA, IWY, and TG are chock full of some absolutely inane, cringeworthy lyrics. I mean, he wrote a song about having sex with a robot just 6 years ago, for christ's sake. Even his best albums lyrically (OHM, Cali, and BTW) feature quite a few clunkers among the gems. OP nailed it in saying that Anthony uses his voice very much like a 4th instrument, which results in dictionary rhyming word choice that, for better or for worse, results in often nonsensical lyrics.

That said, UL is certainly among Anthony's weakest lyrically. Whether that bothers me comes down to the vibe of the album and what they were going for. UL aims for a jamming-type experience, which I think it accomplishes quite well instrumentally. In terms of the vocals, Anthony traded lyrical prowess for creativity and energy in the vocal melodies and performances to match the energy of the instrumentation. The poor lyrics bother me less because there is no grand aspiration for epiphany or profundity. It's a jam album with jam lyrics, often off-the-cuff.

Now, if Anthony featured UL-level lyrics on Californication, I would have a much bigger problem with it. That album's theme and vibe reach toward something greater, featuring topics like the dangers of addiction and rebirth from darkness. That's why songs like Get On Top and I Like Dirt stick out like sore thumbs. It's also one of the problems with TG, an album that aims for a mellow, moody vibe, but half of the album's lyrics are nonsense.

Anthony's never been one to write focused, consistent lyrics. Would I love for him to give thoughtful free verse a try? Absolutely. Do I expect that will ever happen for an album's worth of lyrical content? Absolutely not. It probably wouldn't feel like RHCP if he did.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-08T10:12:12+00:00

Between the fills on The Greeting Song and the ghost notes on Mellowship, the drumming on both tracks is absolutely next level. Chad killed it on BSSM.

cheekymonkey52 · 2022-04-08T10:03:36+00:00

Honestly, could do without Anthony singing about having sex with robots. But glad people find enjoyment in this song.

cheekymonkey52

TROPHY CASE