Though Red Hot Chili Peppers are sometimes known as that group with the guy who kinda raps nonsense and sings about California all the time, you can’t deny that Anthony Kiedis comes up with some good melodies to his lyrics. He may have some assistance from his bandmates. I could see John Frusciante being heavily involved in that front. But even when Frusciante wasn’t there for that period in the ’90s where he left the band and became a full-on junkie, the band still delivered – albeit with a new guitarist in Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, and a new heavy rock/less funk change in sound that arrived as a result.

‘My Friends’ is a track from One Hot Minute, the only album of the group’s to feature Navarro as a guitarist, released in 1995. It was also released as a single from there, hence its music video above. That is the original video, but upon seeing it Anthony Kiedis decided he didn’t like it, so another one was made. I’ll embed that below. The original though is how I came across the song in the first place. Was probably 10 or something and it showed on MTV2. I mean, there was that time that Stadium Arcadium was coming soon, so it only made sense that everyone prepared by showing Red Hot Chili Pepper videos throughout the day. Even though the video may have been a bit strange to me, the song sounded good. Kiedis sings about being there for his friends, present and past, whenever they’re at their lowest, loving them, and letting them know that he’s been in their place.

I listened through One Hot Minute once a while ago. From looking around I’ve gathered that it’s a bit of an outsider in the discography of RHCP in terms of appreciation. Mainly ’cause of the lack of Frusciante and the whole change in sound and everything. I probably couldn’t judge with that much merit, but I remember feeling like it went on for ages. Though the singles from there are up there with some of the band’s best songs, I feel. ‘My Friends’ is definitely a dark horse. Just how I feel, you know.