Did you know that the song Californiacation by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers has a dark meaning? It’s pretty unsettling once you realize it.
Many of us consider California a dream destination, a place we should all go and visit. I want to go there to hang out with Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, but there’s also a whole other side to the state.
California has a large population of surfers and celebrities. Imagine how cool it would be to see one of your idols walking the streets. It would be pretty cool! The Hollywood sign in the City of Angels. What could be so wrong about that?
Californiacation has a dark meaning to it, and we will look at it together. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers hail from Los Angeles and have seen the other side of the California state. The darker side. The side that no one wants you to see. You may not realize it, but Californiacation was inspired by the band’s experience with the wrong side of California.
This ever-popular song came out in 1999 and has been played everywhere. It’s a song about the dark side of American society. The American dream is what many people aspire to have, but there are a bunch of negatives that come with it. Plasticity. Deceit. Desperation. These are some more extreme words to describe the dream which the band noticed.
California isn’t all good, and the band’s song reveals the darkness underneath. A few metaphors and clever lyrics are thrown into the music, alluding to its night. The song was written by band members Kiedis, Smith, Flea, and Frusciante.
The opening verse of the song mentions the broad geographical reach that the state has. It’s a place visited by citizens of many different countries. Both China and Sweden are mentioned in the first two lyrics:
Psychic spies from China try to steal your mind’s elation
And little girls from Sweden dream of silver-screen quotation.
I bet now that we are examining this song in depth, it’s becoming clear that it has some dark messages. Both lyrics show the increased consumerism in the States and how the goals of making it big in Hollywood can lead to disappointment.
It’s Hollywood that sells the idea of California. It’s Hollywood that takes advantage of people believing that it’s the best place in the world. Have you ever had the American dream? What would yours be? Hopefully, it works out for you.
The song may have come out 20 years ago, but the lyrics are still accurate. The music may seem relaxed and laid back, but if you listen to its lyrics, you may have a different opinion. It’s an infectious song, and their music video has over a billion views.
People are never who they seem to be, and neither are places. Earthquakes and tidal waves couldn’t change the world from Californiacation.