Give It Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers song)

This article is about a single by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. For the song by George Strait, see Give It Away (George Strait song).

"Give It Away"
Song
B-side	"Search and Destroy" "Soul to Squeeze"

"Give It Away"
Song

"Give It Away" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers released in 1991 on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. A four-minute forty-two second ode to selflessness, "Give It Away" was the first of five singles from the album and achieved fame around the world, quickly becoming the defining song of the Chili Peppers' distinct funk-influenced sound. It won a Grammy Award in 1992, further solidifying its status as a funk anthem.

Development, inspiration, and interpretations

The song was born in the usual Chili Peppers style: through an improvised jam session. Flea, the band's bassist, was trying out some bass lines when he struck upon what is nowadays regarded as one of the most distinctive bass riffs in all of their work. Their drummer, Chad Smith, joined in. The lead singer Anthony Kiedis was so taken by Flea's bass part, he took to the microphone and belted out "Give it away, give it away now" over and over.

The interpretations of the lyrics have been widely different. The line "What I've got you've got to get it put it in you" is believed by some to be a reference to taking drugs, while lines such as "Come and drink it up from my fertility" could be construed as sexual metaphors.

A more literal minded interpretation is that the bulk of the song is a riff on donating blood, suggesting it is not only a loving, selfless act, but can be enervating or even sexual. This theory fits neatly with numerous lyrics including "What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter/ You do a little dance and then you drink a little water", "What I've got you've got to get it put it in you/Reeling with the feeling don't stop continue", "Young blood is the lovin' upriser/ How come everybody wanna keep it like the kaiser", etc. Proponents of this theory are also quick to point out that the next track on the album is "Blood Sugar Sex Magik".

The verse "There's a River born to be a giver/keep you warm won't let you shiver/his heart is never gonna wither/come on everybody time to deliver" is a reference to the actor River Phoenix, who was friends with members of the band; Flea was with River on the night he died.

The lines "Greedy little people in a sea of distress, keep your more to receive your less, unimpressed by material excess" are about Kiedis' views of materialism and consumerism. The line "keep your more to receive your less" is a reference to reggae legend Bob Marley and his song "Misty Morning" from which Kiedis borrowed the line. Marley is also mentioned later in the song by the lines "Bob Marley, poet and a prophet...". And the well known line "Give It Away" was a reference to Kiedis' relationship with Nina Hagen, who Kiedis has said freely gave away anything in her possession.

Frusciante says that the intro riff was inspired by Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf". A careful listen will reveal the intro riff to that song in the background near the end of "Give It Away". It is also sometimes played live by the band while jamming the song. Considering that the song "Sweet Leaf" is a notorious ode to marijuana, it is understandable why some interpret "Give It Away" as being about taking drugs.

Music video

The music video for the song is often cited as some of the band's most recognizable work. It features the members painted silver and dancing wildly in a desert, shot in black-and-white. The band members, otherwise scantily-clad, wear unusual clothing and eccentric hair styles.

• Anthony Kiedis has braids, and is dressed in a chainmail skirt. During certain segments in the video he also wears vibrant-colored lipstick
• Flea has a spiral haircut.
• Chad Smith has a short ponytail and horns, which is occasionally covered with a German WWI helmet.
• John Frusciante has a short mohawk.

Due to its unique peculiarity and sheer frenzied energy, the groundbreaking video, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, is considered one of the greatest if not most extreme of music videos, often ranking highly in polls. Sednaoui would later direct the videos for other of the Chili Peppers' singles including "Scar Tissue" and "Around the World". The former can be seen as a sequel of sorts, as it shows the Chilis returning to the desert, whilst the latter's visual style is very reminiscient of "Give It Away".

This music video is considered to be the first from the Chili Peppers to move away from the comedic, almost camp visual style of their earlier videos (Such as "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes", "Fight Like a Brave" and "Higher Ground") and into works of more artistic merit, often surreal and idiosyncratic in their approach.

Release as a single

"Give it Away" was released on September 24, 1991, as the first single from Blood Sugar Sex Magik. However, despite the Chili's reputation, many radio stations refused to play the single; one station manager went so far as telling the band to bring it back to them "when they had a melody." However, L.A station KROQ began to play the song, and it quickly received hundreds of requests a day for the song.

Another concern surrounding the release was that the recently shot music video would be too weird to be played onto MTV. This proved true for some while until it came to the attention of fans of the band. MTV, like KROQ, began to receive hundreds of requests a day for the video.

In September 1992, The Red Hot Chili Peppers played the MTV Awards show and received two awards for "Give It Away", one of which was the much sought after Breakthrough Video Award. Infamously, during the acceptance of the award on live TV, Flea pretended to masturbate and was hastily pulled off stage by security.

Popularity

It is included on the band's Greatest Hits CD and has become an unmovable part of all their concerts, often being the last song performed (as on their Live in Hyde Park album). It is now one of the few purely funk rock songs still performed live by the band. During recent performances (such as their special concert for Top of the Pops), the band has begun to include a heavy, energetic intro inspired by the 1987 Public Enemy single "You're Gonna Get Yours" (the first track from their debut album Yo! Bum Rush the Show), before segueing into "Give It Away" itself. During concerts in the Dave Navarro era, a segment from the instrumental "Grand Pappy du Plenty" (a track on the band's self-titled debut) was often used for the song's intro.

"Give It Away" still sees regular if not occasional play on radio and music video channels. The song was also performed by an animated version of the band in the The Simpsons episode, "Krusty Gets Kancelled" (in the episode, Krusty persuades the band to alter the line "What I got, you gotta get and put it in you" to "What I'd like is I'd like to hug and kiss you"). "Weird Al" Yankovic later parodied the song, along with the music video, as "Bedrock Anthem", a tribute to the television show The Flintstones. They also performed this song live on Saturday Night Live on May 5, 2006, nearly 15 years after its release.

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

This song was parodied on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Track list

CD single (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "Give It Away" (12" Mix) – 6:02
3. "Search and Destroy" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:34
4. "Give It Away" (Rasta Mix) – 6:47
5. "Give It Away" (Album)

CD single 2 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "Give It Away" (12" Mix) – 6:02
3. "Give It Away" (Rasta Mix) – 6:47
4. "Give It Away" (Album)
5. "Search and Destroy" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:34
6. "Soul to Squeeze" (Previously Unreleased) – 4:50

CD single version 3 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Album)
2. "Search and Destroy" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:34
3. "Soul to Squeeze" (Previously Unreleased) – 4:50

CD single version 4 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "Give It Away" (12" Mix) – 6:02
3. "Give It Away" (Rasta Mix) – 6:47
4. "Soul to Squeeze" (Previously Unreleased) – 4:50

CD single version 5 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "If You Have to Ask" (Friday Night Fever Blister Mix) – 6:34
3. "If You Have to Ask" (Scott And Garth Mix) – 7:12
4. "Nobody Weird Like Me" (Live 12.28.91)

CD single version 6 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "Give It Away" (Album)

7" (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "Search and Destroy" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:34

7" version 2 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "Give It Away" (Album)

12" (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (12" Mix) – 6:02
2. "Give It Away" (Rasta Mix) – 6:47
3. "If You Have to Ask" (Disco Krisco Mix) – 7:32

12" version 2 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (12" Mix) – 6:02
2. "Give It Away (Single Mix)"
3. "Give It Away" (Rasta Mix) – 6:47
4. "Search and Destroy" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:34
5. "Give It Away (Album)"

12" version 3 (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (12" Mix) – 6:02
2. "Search and Destroy" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:34
3. "Soul to Squeeze" (Previously Unreleased) – 4:50

Cassette single (1991)

1. "Give It Away" (Single Mix)
2. "Search and Destroy" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:34

External links

• stephanesednaoui.com - official Stéphane Sednaoui website.