Song Meanings by Band:

            Forums

     Requests

           Links

    Random Song

  Submit an
      Interpretation

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication Song Meanings

1 2 3 Next >

Californication is a play on the words "California" and "fornication". The song is talking about how people are looking up to California and the major state, and the song is based on a guy from California talking about how California isn't all that people think it is (i.e. "the sun may rise in the east atleast its settled in a finer location") and how Hollywood is making California seem wonderful.

Submitted by: SpikeRulesHell
Added: 2006-02-03 21:29:38     Rating:

I agree. Not only on the interpretation, but with what the song is actually saying. California seems and sounds like a great place-until you go there. I was born in and lived in CA Near L.A. for the better part of my life. I will always see it as home, but it has become a horrible place to live. Heartbreaking, really.

Submitted by: 2QT2BSTR8
Added: 2006-04-03 15:00:19     Rating:

I agree with you guys. It's basically saying how California and the stars aren't all they're cracked up to be. One evidence of that is "Pay your surgeon very well
To break the spell of aging
Celebrity skin is this your chin
Or is that war your waging." He's saying yes, they are beautiful, but it has a price and people go to a lot of extreams to become beautiful.

Submitted by: gabu
Added: 2006-04-20 14:04:49     Rating:

I think it's a great song because it says many truths about life. In South America we must live with all these fucking things: too much corruption, unfair things, all the time lies. This song is describing how is the majority of South America in an indirect way¡

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-04-24 22:38:04     Rating:

All of you guys are wrong, it's about the girl Dani California. She's also in by the way and, here's a surprise, Dani California!

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-04-29 20:41:13     Rating:

Ok... That was retarded...

Californication is the band saying that they think that California influences everyone all over the world and that California is pretty much ruining the world. It could be seen as a narrative of some dude trashing Cali as a horrible place, I think it's more of a commentary on the influence of California and the repercussions.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-05-01 04:29:43     Rating:

in short this song is about "over-rated" california.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-05-07 11:25:16     Rating:

The guy who said its the same person in by the way, californication, and dani california is right.

In by the way it says, "Waiting for Dani The Girl"
In Californication it says, "A teenage bride with a baby inside"
and dani california is all about "Dani" all three songs are linked I'm telling u

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-05-08 09:41:14     Rating:

WHAAT??!! Have any of you actually listened to the song?
"Californication" is talking about the way hollywood influences the world negatively. The part, "Little girls from Sweden dream of silver screen quotations." refers to a loss of innocence, hence the ploy on "Fornication" The part just before the chorus, "first born unicorn/hardcore soft Porn." also backs this up, as does "Teenage bride with a baby inside." the song talks of "Californication" as a sort of infection. Awesome song, by the way, definitly a classic.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-05-08 20:18:51     Rating:

Hey guys?

Uh, the song's about porn?

If you asked the RHCP they'll tell you the same thing, and the Dani California part is right.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-05-09 12:16:33     Rating:

Firstly, no ones wrong, it's called an interpretation because it's relative; that's why the site is called, guess what.....Lyric Interpretations.com; anyway, this song is amazing because it addresses both the illusion of this hyperculture "space may be the final frontier but it's made in a hollywood basement" and the prevalence of it "little girls from Sweden dream of silver screen portation" and throughout the song, discusses the irony of this interconnected, transparent society...anyway, great song...5/5

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-05-17 08:44:10     Rating:

Whoever said the song is about Dani is right, but they are an idiot, and they watched that interview of the band on the internet. For those of you who havn't seen the interview, they basically say that Dani California is about the girl from By the Way. And then they say that they think they realized that the teenage bride with a baby inside is the same girl, but they didn't realize this until they wrote Dani California. It's kind of a vague connection. So whoever keeps saying that, you are an idiot and you need to come up with your own interpretation of the song.

I also think the song is about how Hollywood is bad, and it corrupts.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-07-05 14:12:39     Rating:

This song is basically saying California ruined the world, but everyone thinks it's the greatest place on earth and it's perfect. While in reality, it's really the place where all the bad things people do are centered.

Submitted by: aussie_girl
Added: 2006-07-14 23:21:41     Rating:

you all make good points!

SugarNSpice8841: you said: the song is based on a guy from California talking about how California isn't all that people think it is (i.e. "the sun may rise in the east atleast its settled in a finer location") and how Hollywood is making California seem wonderful.

firsly, it's not about a guy from California, as if they would pay out on their own state, it's a social commentary by the peppers.
secondly, it's not 'at least settled in a finer location' it's 'At least it settles in the final location' (check the chili peppers website for lyrics) meaning that California is the ulimate place to be, said with sacasm by the chili peppers of course. aslo gives an impression of what Californains, espically those on the rich coastal places (like in the OC) think of themselves, and where they live.

I would just like to add, I live in Australia, and it's true Californication is everywhere, there are 14 yr old girls watching the OC and they think it's real.

Submitted by: aussie_girl
Added: 2006-07-15 02:37:37     Rating:

Oh, I just want to add 'Dani California' is not a real person, so Californication is not about her! See the Dani California interpreation page for more info.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-07-15 04:02:24     Rating:

I don't know the band THAT WELL I just like a few songs here and there. I REALY dought it's about Dani California (witch is a hella good song) because maby the lead singer just has a thing for California and he did LOTS of heroin and maby he has constant flashbacks about California who knows but Californication is a good song.

anderson_stewart_69@hotmail.com

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-07-19 17:07:22     Rating:

I don't understand the friggin video!!!

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-07-20 01:00:40     Rating:

Its about barney flying to california after he killed superman and miss piggy and had babies with dani (see red hot chillis- dani california to know what the hell I'm talking about) and getting stoned wth all the celebs.....But then superman comes bakc as a zombie and shoots barney....But he's still alive!
And the verse "teenage bride with a babie inside" is talking about dani and barneys kid...Who then becomes evil!

Alec

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-07-23 01:54:26     Rating:

Ummm... I'm actually pretty sure it's about globalization... Which anthony keidis feels very strongly about, and is against.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-07-27 15:46:23     Rating:

I also think that californiacation can represent things that people chase after in life hoping to find fufillment. I think the overall tone of the song is that you can find temporary satisfaction in things but in the end you come up empty. Even though you know they don't satisfy you in the long run, they satisfy you for the moment and this song really captures the bittersweet feel of that.

1 2 3 Next >

Submit your interpretation!

Discuss this group in the Red Hot Chili Peppers forum

Email me when this band is updated

Back to Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Meanings

Home

Users Online
There are 14 guests and 0 registered users online.