Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication Meaning

Song Released: 2000

Californication Lyrics

Psychic spies from China
Try to steal your mind's elation
Little girls from Sweden
Dream of silver screen quotations
And if you want these kind of dreams
It's Californication

It's the edge of the world
And all of western...

1. anonymous

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   Feb 23rd 2007 !⃝

   Californication is a portmanteau of California and fornication, seen on bumper stickers in the state of Oregon during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The stickers said "Don't Californicate Oregon" in reference to the ongoing influx of Californians into Oregon. This shift was brought about largely by the completion of California Interstate 5 in 1964. Prior to that time, the main route into Oregon from California was through the twisty, two-lane Oregon Highway 99. Towns including: Medford, Eugene and Portland have tripled or more in size since 1964, and this population shift has been added to by the massive movement of both legal and illegal immigrants into the West Coast states from south of the border.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
2. anonymous

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   Jan 12th 2007 !⃝

   alright I don't want to repeat what everyone is saying so ill try and clear up a Few things. Dani California is hardly the point but she doesn't exsist. Its like a mash of every girl he has ever come across or dated in his life (anthony) this is about basically the decreption of society and that everyone wants to be liike california because tv makes it sound so great but he's saying that it really isn't and your better off being yourself. WHen he says Cobain can you hear the spheres singing songs off station to station he's mentioning at how one of his closest friend committed suicide from the hollywood pressure and he's speaking out about it because it really affected him.
3. anonymous

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   Dec 23rd 2006 !⃝

   To me, Californication is about Anthony's idea of a perfect world, or, the theory of a Utopian society, which has been passed down for hundreds of years. The state of California is perceived as the center of most attention in the U.S. due to the media, popularity, etc. Perhaps the way Anthony sees California is a way he thinks the world should be seen.

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4. anonymous

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   Dec 23rd 2006 !⃝

   this song has many meanings but the guys who are saying that dani california and californication and stuff are linked are completely wrong. This song can be viewed in many ways like I said. First, it is implying that california is overrated and does influence the world nagatively. Then, it can be viewed as "californication" is supposedly another way of saying an ideal world. Like people think it would be great but would turn out being horrible. The song says "dream of Californication" which could maybe mean dreaming of a "perfect world". I've also heard that it has a lot more to do with Kurt Cobain than we think. IF you look at it from Kurts view he hated the publissity (dont know how to spell it) and fame. "and Cobain can you here the spheres going from station to station" means his fame and sucess was uncontrolable. In the end some say all the fame and such killed him. But I'm not sure about it. It depends on how you look at this song to get a meaning.
5. mz.Kiedis

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   Nov 13th 2006 !⃝

   Well I think your all right! Its a great song aint it?!
6. anonymous

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   Nov 12th 2006 !⃝

   I'd say pretty much everyone here is right. I remember when the single was released Kiedis said that it was mostly about Hollywood/California's influence over the world. Obviously the fornication factor thrown in to the name of the song to represent that sex sells, but its not everything the song is about. This is also about how people think California is glamorous and great, but in reality it is all made up and really fake. This is also the basis for the video. A lot of scenes in it looks great, and then they just turn to sh*t. The band members running in the video most likely shows their attempt to get away from it all.
   
   For those die heard music fans who should have really been able to pick this up, the music is very slow and mellow because it matches the lyrics. Kiedis sings about very depressing things, just like the music is also kind of depressing. During the chorus he raises his voice and the band plays somewhat faster/louder because that's where they wanted to put the emphasis on what the song is about, just a dream of false hopes.
   
   Feedbacks appreciated.
7. RollingStone

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   Oct 21st 2006 !⃝

   I wonder how it is to live in a state that legalize everything?
   
   I mean here we have poor johnny who lives with hookers and mainstreams (california way)
   
   i feel sorry for poor swedes to come scharzenegger style to the state we love the most... Who can forget slepping with miss beauty, and the all time seller seven midgets and a footballteam??? Makes me puke... Dollywood is so filled... Misinterpreted dolly and holly... Cus there's no difference.
   
   Who doesn't like the stealing action of what spelling is today... And after the wifes in bed the film of who have you now?
   
   We love california... They be the cheese on my sunday burger, with spectacular films like, I ripped your guts out and everybody loves the schwarzenegger, am I your daddy?
   
   Albeit they do their films tacky, we still love... And nobody can say otherwise, because they fill our everyday!
   
   Apathy? Everyone think of that?

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8. Kornelius

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   Oct 10th 2006 !⃝

   First of all is gabu a retard california is north america if you live in california then you live in north america too people like this shouldnt be allowed to talk about the chilli's. I think the song is simple the title is californica meaning how california fucks with the world I think he mean hollywood but where is hollywood its in california which hapopens to be in north america

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9. hippieshaker

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   Sep 20th 2006 !⃝

   Well from the top intrpetation thingy california and fornication are made the same word...We does any one know what fornication mean or is it just me? The song means that california is made up of sleezes. It's sex city! Do you guys get the drift now?

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10. anonymous

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    Sep 18th 2006 !⃝

    Everyone is basically right but he's not just writing about one guy he's uses the example of Kurt Cobain who killed himself because of the pressures of hollywood
11. anonymous

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    Aug 24th 2006 !⃝

    Read the lyrics..... This song, by the way, and Dani California are all about a girl that Anthony dated. After she committed suicide, he fell more and more in love with her, and so her dedicated these songs to her ( also the underlying meaning is also that California is not as glamorous as it seems and is about as filthy as it gets.

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12. anonymous

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    Jul 31st 2006 !⃝

    The people that said that californication, dani california and by the way are about the same girl, you are right.
    The lead singer wrote them all about the girl dani california, they even say it in the making the video of dani california.
13. anonymous

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    Jul 29th 2006 !⃝

    Just so you know, Dani is what Anthony Keidis calls all the girls that he's met over the years
14. anonymous

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    Jul 29th 2006 !⃝

    Hey first person california is the west where it sets and it's final not finer, and this song is about the effect california has on everyone and how it changes people and how everyone is fake like with botox and junk

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15. anonymous

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    Jul 27th 2006 !⃝

    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.

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