Red Hot Chili Peppers: Dani California Meaning

Song Released: 2006

Dani California Lyrics

GETTING BORN IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
PAPA WAS A COPPER
AND MAMA WAS A HIPPIE

IN ALABAMA SHE WOULD SWING A HAMMER
PRICE YOU GOT TO PAY WHEN YOU BREAK THE PANORAMA

SHE NEVER KNEW THAT THERE WAS
ANYTHING MORE THAN POOR

WHAT IN THE...

1. bf25...

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   Jul 16th 2006 !⃝

   Dani is definately soembody that anthony knew beacuase he also metions her in the song ''by the way'' and he says ''dani the girl is singing songs to me beneath the marquee'' the lead singer also said that he tells stories in all of his sngs and the same girl dani is what he always ends up writing about
2. anonymous

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   Jul 15th 2006 !⃝

   I've Heard that the lead singer of the red hot chili peppers is gay with the bass player and I'm not realy shocked because have you seen some of there concerts or any thing like that. But it doesn't matter they are still a HELLA GOOD BAND and Dani is a guy name so its probly about a old boy friend or some thing

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
3. aussie_girl

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   Jul 15th 2006 !⃝

   Thanks guys for clearing that up!!!! I thought Dani was a real person. but it's easy to see why they made up person, it (ironically) makes it more real, and just coz the chili's haven't met someone exactly liek this, doesn't mean this stuff doesn't happen, people who aren't in a crap situation in life should be grateful.
   also, video clips don't always portray what they band orginially meant in the song, Nickelback's "savin me" film clip proves that.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 14th 2006 !⃝

   I think everyones right about Dani being a "bad seed" and everything but I think the song video is interpreting that she killed herself because of all the crappy bands (hence the video)!
   
   LOL you can't be freakin serious.. The bands in the vidoe are not ment to be the crappy bands! it even shows them in the end so get your facts straight before you insult some of the greatest bands of all time
5. anonymous

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   Jul 10th 2006 !⃝

   I think everyones right about Dani being a "bad seed" and everything but I think the song video is interpreting that she killed herself because of all the crappy bands (hence the video)!
6. anonymous

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   Jun 22nd 2006 !⃝

   Dani California is not a person he actually knows. It's a made up character consisting of many different women he knows or has dated.
7. anonymous

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   Jun 21st 2006 !⃝

   erm.....they were just doing a video about rock through the ages....they weren't spoofing any bands or anything....and the last one is the modern day chilli peppers not green day or any other band.....didn't you guys watch making the video...
8. anonymous

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   Jun 18th 2006 !⃝

   Green Day was not in the video it looked like My Chemical Romance
9. anonymous

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   Jun 17th 2006 !⃝

   7 isn't some random german metal band its the misfits
   
   dani california is a compilation of several women anthony has known
   
   she was mentioned in by the way "dani the girl is singing songs to me"
10. anonymous

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    Jun 16th 2006 !⃝

    hi, I have looked at the video a few times and I have a list of who is in it, btw Jimi Hendrix is not in it...
    1 is Elvis
    2 is the Beatles
    3 is Prince
    4 is Gary Glitter
    5 is David Bowie/ Alice Cooper
    6 is The Sex Pistols
    7 is some heavy metal German band lol
    8 is Poison
    9 is Nirvana
    10 is the Chillis
    11 the guitar solo is done to make it look like Rory
    Galligher
11. anonymous

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    Jun 12th 2006 !⃝

    I just posted something, but when on doign research and found the answer to my question. I had assumed the last band was Green Day becuase I didn't think they would do themselves in the video. The RHCP symbol in the back was obvious and making me wonder. I just didn't they would do themselves. The shirtless part also really didn't fit Green Day.
    
    Anyway, here is the bad line up: 1.Elvis 2. Beatles 3. Jimi Hendrix 4.David Bowie/Alice Cooper 5.Parliament/Funkadelic 6.Sex Pistols 7.Misfits 8.Hair metal, 9.Nirvana (unplugged era) 10. Present day Red Hot Chili Peppers.
    
    I read that the Hair Metal may be Poison, but it really seems to be any generic Hair Metal Group. It is surprising how many people don't know Parliament Funkadelic. Especially since they were a huge influnce for the Chili Peppers.
12. anonymous

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    Jun 12th 2006 !⃝

    Whether or not the song is about a real person seems rather trivial. Dani could be a real girl or she could be a compilation of many girls. The underlying fact still remains the same. They society today is in bad shape. Many girls do get pregnant too early, do drugs, etc. California was chosen because it seems to be the center of it all. With hollywood and other rich areas that get a lot of media coverage, we tend to see a lot of stories about drug overdoses, people getting pregnant, the list goes on.
    
    I think the fact that he names a lot of cities can have a few meanings. If it based on a real person (emphasis on IF), then they may have been the actual places. By naming a variety of places from the south to the north, he makes it seem like a national problem, which is it.
    
    The multiple gun references show that her lifestyle is going to kill her. The "mourn ya" line also shows this. Suicide does make sense, given the girl and the point they are conveying.
    
    Just a question. Does anyone know what bands are in the video? I get the one is Nirvana doing "All Apologies" (the part with the candles). The last part looked like Green Day (the part where he has a red and black tie on). The earlier ones I am not sure about.
    
    The video reminded me a lot of the video for "1985" by Bowling for Soup, though that one stopped in the 1980's...go figure!
13. anonymous

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    Jun 11th 2006 !⃝

    Thanks styk2dafacs, you'er totally right. I think some of you sit there and make up things to try to sound smart..but I'll stop myself before I get nasty..lol. jk jk.
    
    Anyway Dani California is about what California is turning into, sure but more so it's about what society, (women/girls) are turning into. Listen to the lyrics and get the facts straight everyone who mistakedly thought Dani was a real person.
14. anonymous

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    May 31st 2006 !⃝

    Dani is not anthy's friend in an interview with him he said the name dani is a metaphor for every girl he has ever known. "Dani" is in fact a compalation of different woman in Anthony's life.
15. anonymous

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    May 28th 2006 !⃝

    I think that "Anonymous - 5-15-06 – 19:56:15" is right. Well, for the most part.
    
    SONG: The song "Dani California" was written about an old friend of Anthony Kiedis named Dani. She was born into a hard world in which she did drugs, got pregnant as a teen, and lived her life in poverty. She later went on to commit suicide. (Hence the line, "California rest in peace") The fact that she lived in California didn't make life any easier for Dani, for California is the state where things happen, the state everyone wants to live in, and the society that everyone wants to be a part of.
    
    VIDEO: It all started when the director of the video sat down w/ the RHCP's producer and listened to "Dani California". The second the song was over he said that he had the perfect concept, the perfect layout for the video. He called up the guys and they loved the idea. And then, the "Dani California" video was BORN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The video is great. It shows the evolution of Rock n' Roll starting in the 50s and ending in the 00s.

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