Give It Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers song)
"Give It Away" | ||||
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Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers | ||||
from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik | ||||
B-side | ||||
Released | September 4, 1991 | |||
Recorded | April–June 1991 | |||
Studio | The Mansion (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |||
Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Give It Away" on YouTube |
"Give It Away" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from the group's fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). It was released as the lead single from their album in September 1991 by Warner Bros. Records. The music was written by guitarist John Frusciante and bassist Flea during a jam session months prior to the album recording sessions. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the song's most prevalent lyrical refrain in response to an experience he shared with former girlfriend Nina Hagen regarding altruistic behavior and the value of selflessness.
"Give It Away" went on to achieve international fame, reaching number one on the
The accompanying
Origins and recording
Guitarist John Frusciante and bassist Flea wrote much of "Give It Away" during jam sessions in the early 1990s.[6] Following the Chili Peppers' tour in support of Mother's Milk (1989), the duo spent time in a side project called H.A.T.E. with members of Fishbone. During their tenure in the group, the guitarist and bassist created the main riff and accompanying bassline for "Give It Away". The rhythm was played at several H.A.T.E. performances shortly thereafter, but when the side project disbanded Frusciante and Flea believed the track would be appropriate for the Chili Peppers' upcoming record.[6] Vocalist Anthony Kiedis agreed, and upon hearing the rest of the Chili Peppers play the song he began chanting "give it away, give it away, give it away now". The phrase had been something the vocalist intended to incorporate into a song for the band's new record, but it was not until he heard the bassline that the lyrics fit. Kiedis said, "I was so struck by Flea's bass part, which covered the whole length of the instrument's neck, that I jumped up and marched over to the mic, my notebook in tow. I always had fragments of songs and ideas or even specific isolated phrases in mind."[7]
The song was recorded between April and June 1991 at The Mansion in Los Angeles, California.[8] Through the recording of "Give It Away" came a practice of crafting songs that the band would continue to use on every album following Blood Sugar Sex Magik.[9] When the group encountered difficulty in composing a bridge for the song, it developed a tool the members colloquially termed "face-offs". Flea and Frusciante were unable to come to an agreement on guitar or bass progressions, but separately crafted part of the song. The band then reconvened at a later time and chose the most appropriate inclusion. With "Give It Away", a chorus and verse had already been written but a bridge was lacking, so thus they partook in a "face-off".[9]
Lyrics and meaning
The lyrical meaning behind "Give It Away" is centered on the philosophy of selflessness and altruistic behavior.[6] The song is titled after its most prevalent lyrical phrase "give it away", which is taken from an experience Kiedis had with his former girlfriend—punk rock singer Nina Hagen—in the early 1980s.[6] Hagen was several years Kiedis's senior and became a role-model during his drug addiction to heroin: "she realized how young and inexperienced I was then, so she was always passing on gems to me, not in a preachy way, just by seizing on opportunities."[9] When Kiedis was looking through her closet he came across a jacket he liked, and commented to Hagen that it was "really cool".[9] Upon expressing this, Hagen immediately told him to keep it. Her reasoning behind this selflessness was due to an attempt to constantly make her life more enjoyable, and explained to Kiedis that "if you have a closet full of clothes and you try to keep them all, your life will get very small. But if you have a full closet and someone sees something they like, if you give it to them, the world is a better place."[9]
The act was something that affected Kiedis significantly because he had never before experienced such an enlightening ideology on life. Growing up in Los Angeles, he had always thought differently from Hagen. Instead of giving material possessions away and being free thinking, the vocalist believed one must take what one wants, as no one else will provide.[9] Instead, he now adopted Hagen's philosophy: "It was such an epiphany that someone would want to give me her favorite thing. That stuck with me forever. Every time I'd be thinking 'I have to keep,' I'd remember 'No, you gotta give away instead.' When I started going regularly to [drug and alcohol] meetings, one of the principles I had learned was that the way to maintain your own sobriety is to give it to another suffering alcoholic. Every time you empty your vessel of that energy, fresh new energy comes flooding in."[9] Flea's bassline for the song allowed Kiedis to recall this incident and he believed the music paired perfectly with the lyrics.[6] During the verses, Kiedis departs from the idea of unselfishness and sings about a variety of topics including long-time friend River Phoenix, musician Bob Marley and various sexual themes including fertility and lust.[10]
Music and composition
"Give It Away" is performed in the time signature of
During the chorus, Kiedis sings "Give it away, give it away, give it away now" repeatedly over a more rapid guitar riff before Frusciante provides, according to Steve Huey of Allmusic, a "sudden contrast to Kiedis's hyperactivity in the form of a languid solo pre-recorded and dubbed backwards over the rhythm track."[3] The solo was recorded in one take because Frusciante had developed a preference towards speedy execution and a raw feeling; according to Flea, "We did very little fix-up stuff. John's philosophy was that he would only play a solo twice. He'd play it once, and if he didn't like it or we didn't like it, he'd play it again—completely different. And that was it."[13] "Give It Away" also makes use of other instruments like the jew's harp, which was played by band friend Pete Weiss.[3] The song continues through several verses and choruses before reaching a bridge that introduces the outro, which consists of "a hard-rocking riff" that, according to Huey, strongly resembles the main riff from Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" from their 1971 record Master of Reality.[3] Kiedis repeats "Give it away now" for several measures before the guitar, bass and drums drop out.
Release and reception
"Give It Away" was released as the lead single from Blood Sugar Sex Magik in early September 1991, shortly before the record went on sale. Warner Bros. sought to premiere the song on a popular rock radio station in Texas, but were turned down when the format refused to air the track—they told employees at the label to "come back to us when you have a melody in your song".[14] The band then embarked on a short press tour through Europe in order to promote the record; it was during this time that KROQ-FM, a Los Angeles-based modern rock station, began to place "Give It Away" on heavy rotation. According to Kiedis, "That was the beginning of the infusion of those songs into mass consciousness."[15]
Critical reception to the song, much like the album, was highly positive. Jeff Vice of
Since the song's release, it has become a notable factor in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' success and has won a variety of accolades. "Give It Away" won a
Music video
The music video for "Give It Away" was made by French
Sednaoui experimented with a variety of cinematography techniques including wide-angle lenses, shots from below the subjects, superimposition, vertically cut screens displaying different angles of the same shot, reverse film effects, multiple lighting situations and flashy clothing to convey his concept. Frusciante noted the feeling of the video to be extremely vibrant and over-the-top: "When it was us just painting ourselves silver and wearing these big silver boots and stuff, I mean it felt like glam rock or something."[31]
The video begins with a wide-angle shot of Flea in a desert setting wearing pants with several gold-colored horns protruding from each leg. The bassist is standing in a meditative stance and brings his arms together above his head when the music begins to play. The video then transitions between a variety of shots edited together that consist of the four band members standing with their eyes closed; the band dancing around in a dimly lit setting; a ground view of Frusciante playing a reflective silver Fender Stratocaster in between his legs while wearing pants made up entirely of small pieces of mirror; the band members moving around with full makeup on; and the band members dancing frenziedly. Kiedis adopted a deliberately outlandish wardrobe which incorporated gold lipstick, revealing mesh shorts and bright silver boots.[31]
During the backwards
The video—which cost an estimated
Live performances
"Give It Away" has been performed live by the band over 1,000 times, the most out of any of the band's songs and 32 years after its first performance; it remains a staple in the band's setlists, often closing the show’s main set or encore.[35] The band has performed the song on various talk shows and other events, including Saturday Night Live on March 6, 2006;[36] as well as during the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show on February 2, 2014.[37] The Los Angeles Rams (of which the band members are fans) play the song prior to the start of the fourth quarter during home games at SoFi Stadium.[38]
Formats and track listing
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Personnel
Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Flea – bass, scream
- John Frusciante – lead and rhythm guitar
- Anthony Kiedis – vocals
- Chad Smith – drums, tambourine
Additional musicians
- Brendan O'Brien – Hammond B3 organ
- Pete Weiss – Jew's harp
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[51] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[52] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United States | September 1991 | — | Warner Bros. | |
Japan | March 10, 1992 | CD | [53] | |
United Kingdom | January 24, 1994 |
|
[54] |
Cover version
- A double-parody of "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge" titled "Bedrock Anthem" was recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic in his 1993 album Alapalooza.
- Mr. Bungle performed a mock version of the song in 1999, as part of a halloween concert parodying Red Hot Chili Peppers.[55]
- Busta Rhymes used the "Give it away, give it away, give it away now" lyrics in his 2001 song Break Ya Neck. The members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers are listed in the songwriting credits.
- Idina Menzel performed a few bars of the song as part of her exit music on her 2015 World Tour.
References
- ^ Elliott, Paul (May 30, 2016). "The Top 20 Greatest Funk Rock Songs". TeamRock. Team Rock Limited. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-84767-003-8.
With another series of striking videos, the Chili Peppers almost scored a US No.l with the aching ballad, 'Under The Bridge' while the body-jerk funk-rock of 'Give It Away' made the UK Top 10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Huey, Steve. "'Give It Away' review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
- About.com. Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Apter, 2004. p. 229
- ^ Kiedis, 2004. p. 272
- ^ "Give It Away" single Liner Notes.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kiedis, 2004. p. 273
- ^ a b Apter, 2004. p. 230
- ^ "Blood Sugar Sex Magik Guitar Book." Hal Leonard (1995).
- ^ a b Gore, Joe (October 1991). "Red Hot Chili Peppers: Gods of Sex Funk." Guitar Player.
- ^ a b c Di Perna, Alan (November 1991). "Free Spirits in the Material World." Guitar World.
- ^ a b Kiedis, 2004. p. 280
- ^ a b c Kiedis, 2004. p. 281
- ^ Vice, Jeff (March 14, 1992). "Releases Show Continuing Evolution of Punk Rock." Deseret News.
- ^ MacDonald, Patrick (January 3, 1992). "Rock Rapped In Funk — Red Hot Chili Peppers Are Giving It Away Tonight, Along With Pearl Jam." The Seattle Times.
- NME. p. 36. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- NME. p. 47. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Clarke, Jay (December 24, 1991). "Chili Peppers Hotter Than Ever On This One." Richmond Times-Dispatch.
- ^ Moon, Tom (August 28, 2003). "Blood Sugar Sex Magik Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 29, 2008. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
- ^ Sutherland, Mark (January 19, 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 55. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the originalon February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Singles of All Time." Kerrang! (December 14, 2002).
- ^ "1001 Songs You Must Own!" Q (September 2004).
- ^ "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". VH1. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ Law, Sam (March 17, 2021). "The 20 greatest Red Hot Chili Peppers songs – ranked". Kerrang. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "The 40 Greatest Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs". Rolling Stone. April 11, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Kiedis, 2004. p. 279
- ^ a b c d e f The Making of "Give It Away"; Red Hot Chili Peppers' Greatest Hits and Videos (2003).
- ^ Van Splunteren, Bram (1992) "Red Hot Chili Peppers." Hit of Shit [Dutch Television Show]. VPRO.
- ^ "RHCP Timeline". Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ a b c Apter, 2004. p. 234
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Tour Statistics – setlist.fm". Setlist.fm. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ Navaroli, Joel. "SNL Archives | Episodes | June 5, 2006 #11". SNL Archives. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ Rutherford, Kevin (February 2, 2014). "Bruno Mars Gets One-Sided Super Bowl Bouncing With Biggest Hits". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
- ^ "RHCP Bassist Flea talks New Music, Makes Super Bowl Predictions".
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 8. February 19, 1994. p. 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- Les classement single.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Give It Away". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "The Year in Music 1991: Top Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-41.
- ^ "British single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "ギブ・イット・アウェイ | レッド・ホット・チリ・ペッパーズ" [Give It Away | Red Hot Chili Peppers] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. January 22, 1994. p. 21.
- ^ "Five Noteworthy Facts You May Not Know About Faith No More | Exclaim!". Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- Apter, Jeff (2004). Fornication: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story. ISBN 1-84449-381-4.
- ISBN 1-4013-0101-0.
External links
- Give It Away official video on YouTube