Under the Bridge

English Communications Assessment Part B By Stephanie Palmer

‘Under The Bridge’

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Sometimes I feel

Like I don't have a partner

Sometimes I feel

Like my only friend

Is the city I live in

The city of angels

Lonely as I am

Together we cry

I drive on her streets

'Cause she's my companion

I walk through her hills

'Cause she knows who I am

She sees my good deeds

And she kisses me windy

Well I never worry

Now that is a lie

I don't ever want to feel

Like I did that day

Take me to the place I love

Take me all the way


Like I did that day


Take me all the way

It's hard to believe

That there's nobody out there

It's hard to believe

That I'm all alone

Wendy David Steph, 25/02/15,

Anthony Kiedis is alone, feeling isolated, rejected and without the comfort or companionship of a friend.


Again, Kiedis is lonely and in denial.


He is far away from his physical and figurative home, and desires to go all the way back. This is also a possible reference to the heroin that was taking him to another level.


Kiedis desires to be home, and in a place where he can be embraced by those who still love and care for him.


Kiedis is referring to a time where he left his home, the love and security of his family and girlfriend and abandoned his morals and self-worth, and threw it in for a night of drug abuse. He endlessly shot heroin and cocaine that he had formerly cleaned himself of and reached a state of manufactured euphoria underneath a bridge near dealers he was in contact with. Kiedis’ binge led him to a period of renewed addiction, and his feelings of regret, bitterness and betrayal led him to one of the lowest points of his life.


Kiedis has a face of confidence and stature, however he is insecure and worried beneath this seemingly brave and strong image.


Kiedis feels as if he goes unnoticed, and nothing he achieves is ever recognised. The city, however, sees him and rewards him.


The exploration through a city of pain and sorrow is a form of relief, a source of comfort and a familiar area, both geographically and emotionally.


Kiedis’ connection with the emotionally empty city is expressed on many levels, and the city is subject to the same loveless, shallow feelings, leading to the action of ‘crying’ together. This is also an example of personification.


The city he speaks of is Los Angeles.


Kiedis feels attached to the city he lives in, and has a sense of belonging to his home. The use of the word ‘only’ implies that he is reliant solely on the city.


At least I have her love

The city, she loves me

Lonely as I am

Together we cry


Like I did that day


Take me all the way


Like I did that day


Take me all the way

Yeah, yeah yeah

Oh no no no, yeah yeah

Love me, I say, yeah yeah

One time

Under the bridge downtown

Is where I drew some blood


I could not get enough


Forgot about my love


I gave my life away

Yeah, yeah yeah

Oh, no no no no, yeah yeah

Oh no no, I said, oh yeah yeah

Will I stay?


Ending the song with a question as provoking as this one is a prominent feature. Kiedis delivers his final line with both vindication and confusion. It is powerful, subtly arrogant and a reflection of Kiedis’ life and attitude. He ponders the question like his life depends on it, which in many ways, it does. He eventually stays and recovers after many rehabilitation efforts, and supposedly remains clean to this day, but not without multiple relapses and setbacks.


The ultimate confession; Kiedis gave his life away. In the depths of his despair, he deduces that there is nothing left in his world. He surrendered everything in hope that drugs would lead him to happiness. The night under the bridge was the moment where he saw truth; the rock bottom he hit clarified everything he pretended not to know.


Kiedis broke the promises he’d made to his girlfriend, and had prioritised his love for substances above his love for her. He feels as if he has cheated his family and friends with his addiction, forgetting all who truly love him, and instead choosing a life of insatiable substance highs. He may also have been reminded of his ugly love for heroin on the night of reintroduction to the drug.


No amount of heroin could sustain his craving or satisfy his need for a stimulated high. Gram after gram, he was left desperate and suicidal.


Kiedis draws literal blood from his body through syringes, and draws metaphorical blood from his soul. It is a reopened wound that won’t heal over, a scar that has been severed and a mark of his broken spirit.


Kiedis is indecisive, and is unsure of where he stands with his own situation.


Kiedis is still accepted by his city, even if no one else loves him and his band members and friends appear to have deserted him.


‘Under The Bridge’ is a rock ballad written by Anthony Kiedis, frontman of the Red Hot

Chili Peppers. It was released as a single from their 1991 breakthrough album Blood Sugar

Sex Magik and became one of their most successful hits to date. The song is composed with a

contrasting upbeat melody, arranged by guitarist John Frusciante, however the lyrics are

negative, brutal and shamelessly honest. ‘Under The Bridge’ addresses many issues including

drug addiction, depression, loneliness, detachment and a connection to Kiedis’ home, often

on the streets. The text contains many linguistic devices, including personification,

metaphors, imagery and a variety of emotional expressions.

‘Under The Bridge’ is a text type of song lyrics, although it was it was only ever meant to be

a poem. Kiedis simply found the words while in his car in a state of delusion, despair and

regret following memories of a night of substance abuse, and wrote his thoughts in a

notebook on his return home. The poem was discovered by the band’s producer, and Kiedis

was encouraged to share his work. After a jam session, the Red Hot Chili Peppers created a

unique and chart-topping anthem. The words alone tell a tale, and the text could be

considered as a recount or a personal journal. ‘Under The Bridge’ has the potential to be a

standalone story in itself.

The purpose of the composer is to express his feelings, to exude his self-hatred and to share

his experience, shedding light on the many dark sides of addiction and dejection. Kiedis is

open in declaring that he is lost, isolated and apologetic. He makes no effort to hide the fact

that he feels like he ‘gave his life away’ and his unorthodox, frank presentation of sharing

these ghastly feelings reaches a wide audience. Using the metaphor and literal action of

‘drawing blood’, everything is left on the table and Kiedis implies that there is nothing

glamorous about injecting heroin or cocaine into his body. His use of direct language is

intentional, and is part of the distinct style that led to the success of ‘Under The Bridge’.

The overall style of the song is sombre and melancholic in tone, but relatively informal and

simple to interpret. It is written in first person and told to an audience of many, both of

addicts and non-addicts. The style is relatively consistent throughout the song, using similar

phrasing and stanza structure. ‘Under The Bridge’ is a personal story addressed at anyone

who is willing to listen, and its message is conveyed bluntly to all. There’s no flowery

language to glorify substances, and the lyrics boldly speak out against narcotic addiction. The

repeated chord progression lies under the pitiless words, giving them the full stage and


communicating an unobstructed moral. This style can be read by people of all ages, statuses

and backgrounds, and needs no additional accompanying explanation or response.

‘Under The Bridge’ features a range of language devices, which are used in conjunction with

raw emotions to create a truly meaningful piece. The main technique evident is

personification, where Kiedis gives the city a gender and the ability to love and cry. His

friendship with the inanimate metropolis is spoken of like that of a soul mate. Kiedis’

affection and closeness to his metaphorical friend is the prominent spine of the song.

Likewise, he uses symbols and figurative language to describe his habit and the haunting

night under the bridge. The musical bridge of ‘Under The Bridge’ outlines his experiences in

relatively low calibre language, but can be interpreted on a deeper level. He reflects on the

time by adding double meanings to each phrase; drawing blood, not getting enough and

forgetting about his love. These stanzas can be interpreted both literally and figuratively,

making the song very effective in its delivery.

The use of two levels is one of the standouts in the writing of ‘Under The Bridge’. The song

is brilliantly structured, with the verses and chorus building to a heightening climax at the

bridge. This arrangement resembles that of a novel, with a setting, introduction, conflict and

resolution. Although the conclusion remains a little indefinite and leaves the listener hanging,

the song is certainly successful with its conveyance of the tale. ‘Under The Bridge’ is

believable, realistic and most notably, honest. The imagery and details are appropriate and

create the picture of loneliness, desperation and withdrawal. All elements of ‘Under The

Bridge’ work in harmony to draw the listener in to Kiedis’ reality. It is a monumental song,

respected by Red Hot Chili Peppers fans, industry critics and casual listeners alike.

‘Under The Bridge’ became one of the most iconic songs of the 1990s, and its exceptional

composition is notably to thank. Its lyrics are harrowingly candid, but relatable to almost

anyone who has ever felt isolated, let alone been a slave to narcotics. Anthony Kiedis’ sincere

words in ‘Under The Bridge’ are perhaps some of the most powerful he has ever written. The

Red Hot Chili Peppers received an abundance of praise for ‘Under The Bridge’ and there is

little doubt as to why the piece is so highly regarded. The combination of brutality and open

negativity with clever metaphors is the edge that gives ‘Under The Bridge’ such a heightened

and compelling voice. The way the song speaks is unlike any other, and it is an alternative

masterpiece in the musical and literary world.

Documents

Under the Bridge