When Anthony Kiedis wrote the words that became “Under the Bridge,” he didn’t plan on anyone reading what was in his notebook.
Videos by American Songwriter
Producer Rick Rubin convinced him to show it to his bandmates. Soon, John Frusciante, Flea, and Chad Smith put music to Kiedis’s feelings of isolation. The only friend he felt he had was the city of Los Angeles.
However, his deep friendship with Flea dates back to high school. Their bond has been like Super Glue in holding the Red Hot Chili Peppers together, even in the darkest times.
“Under the Bridge” describes how addiction separated Kiedis from his closest friends. It was reflective, internal. But “My Friends” illustrates the depression and pain he saw in others around him. And it appears on an album that’s missing a key ingredient to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Me and My Friends
The heartbreak of losing close friends is a defining part of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Founding guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose at age 26. But the band found new life with John Frusciante, a young fan who also happened to be a virtuoso guitarist.
Then, more tragedy. After only two albums with Frusciante, including the 1991 masterpiece Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the guitarist quit and descended into his own spiraling addiction.
My friends are so depressed
I fear the question of your loneliness
Confide, ’cause I’ll be on your side
You know I will
You know I will
Again, they carried on. Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro replaced Frusciante—a perfect blending of two legendary Los Angeles groups. They released One Hot Minute in 1995, but the album divided fans.
Still, “My Friends” stands out as Kiedis writes poignantly about a loss of hope within his group.
My friends are so distressed
They’re standing on the brink of emptiness
No words I know of to express
This emptiness
Pigs in Zen
Blood Sugar Sex Magik was a colossal success. Songs like “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away” dominated MTV and alternative rock radio. The Red Hot Chili Peppers had emerged from the underground to become one of the biggest-selling rock bands in the world.
Continuing without Frusciante wasn’t easy. But Navarro added ’60s psychedelia and heavy metal to the band’s punk and funk sound. Still, the dark overtones weren’t only the result of Navarro’s goth influence. Kiedis had relapsed into addiction, and chaos once again returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, but sales were underwhelming compared to Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Navarro was eventually fired due to his drug use.
With Frusciante seemingly back from the dead and back in the band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers emerged with another masterpiece in 1999, Californication. Its lead single, “Scar Tissue,” distills their perilous and unpredictable history.
Two Videos
There are two music videos for “My Friends.” One features the band on a boat; it’s surreal, and Kiedis at one point falls overboard. Yet, he pulls himself back up and paddles on. The other version is a performance clip in a recording studio.
The earthy version seems more impactful than the dreamlike visual on the water. Just four people using their instruments to find catharsis.
Unlimited Love
Songs from One Hot Minute are omitted from the band’s current live sets with Frusciante. But “My Friends” is gorgeous, nonetheless.
Kiedis sounds like the weary traveler who’s been under the desolate bridge, in the gutter, and watched his friends die young. He delivers “My Friends” with both pain and empathy in his voice. He survived, but this song happened when survival wasn’t guaranteed.
I love all of you
Hurt by the cold
So hard and lonely, too
When you don’t know yourself
Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images
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