Transcending by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Album: One Hot Minute (1995)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This song is a tribute to lost friends, namely River Phoenix, a close friend of RHCP guitarist John Frusciante and bass player Flea. It's also rumored that there is a reference to Kurt Cobain. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Steph - London, England
RHCP bass player Flea wrote many of the lyrics to this song. For the One Hot Minute album, he said he was thinking less as a bass player and more as a songwriter - he explained that his playing on the album was original, but not what he considered complex.

Flea was at The Viper Room the night of October 30, 1993 when Phoenix overdosed on drugs and collapsed outside on the sidewalk. Flea rode with him in the ambulance, but Phoenix didn't survive.
Flea came up with the bass part on a beach in Hawaii when he was playing his acoustic bass guitar.

Comments: 8

Nick from NyThis album gets s--t on because it's dark, and different. Peppers purists can hate it, but I LOVE this album. I was 13 when it was released and this, along with earlier albums completely formed me as a musicians. So hate it all you want, but it is AMAZING music.
Bobbilyn from Jacksonville, FlFlea was at the club when he died. OHM is the darkest of all their albums, probably Navarro's influence, its not my fav. I'm a Mother's milk fan personally, Frusciante is my fav of their many guitarists, but I think that particular position in this band is cursed. Revolving door of tortured and addicted and talented men, tis sad. This is my fav song off this album its twisted.
Evan from Arkansas, AlThe constant mention of "water flowing" and "stream" is obviously because it is about "RIVER" Phoenix.
Nicky from London, EnglandThis song was written ENTIRELY for River Phoenix, by Flea about his life and death. 'Tearjerker' was written entirly for Kurt Cobain on the same album. Phoenix was closer to Flea than he was to Frusciante- they went on holiday together, Phoenix shared his malibu home whist filming and Flea played in Phoenix's band, alekas attic, at gigs on occasion- even lending bass to one of the bands few released tracks 'Note To A Friend'.
Abby from Dublin, IrelandFlea wrote the majority of the lyrics on 'one hot minute' as Anthony was going through a kind of 'writers block'

Flea was also great friends with River Phoenix since staring together in the film 'My own private Idaho'. Flea went in the ambulance with River the night he died.
Kaitie from Ontario, Canadariver phoenix was in stand by me ...i love that movie...and this song too, its amazing
Marko from Melbourne, Australiaflea wrote the guitar line???? lets say i believe that, he should write more songs then because that is awesome, that song is absolutely mad and so meaningful, TEARJERKER was written in memory of kurt cobain, not some girl who kiedes dated... but kurt cobain, keep in mind kurt had "pale blue eyes" and "dimple in your chin"
Keewa from Fairbanks, AlBass player Flea wrote the song about river phoenix, not john frusciante, as frusciante was not in the band at the moment

flea wrote the lyrics, guitar lines and basslines for it.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

WaterfallsTLC

Cee-Lo Green sang backup on the 1994 TLC hit "Waterfalls."

The CaveMumford & Sons

"The Cave" by Mumford & Sons is based on the philosophy of Plato and his work called "Allegory of the Cave."

Right RoundFlo Rida

An unknown Kesha (known then as Ke$ha) sang on Flo-Rida's #1 hit "Right Round," but refused to appear in the video because she wanted to make a name for herself.

Mrs. RobinsonSimon & Garfunkel

The Simon & Garfunkel song "Mrs. Robinson" was originally called "Mrs. Roosevelt," most likely after First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The title was changed when it was considered for use in the film The Graduate, where Anne Bancroft's character is Mrs. Robinson.

The Battle Hymn of the RepublicTraditional

John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath got its title from a line in "The Battle Hymn of the Republic": "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored."

FireJimi Hendrix

Thirty years after Jimi Hendrix played "Fire" at Woodstock, Red Hot Chili Peppers played it at Woodstock '99, but this time the unruly crowd actually set fires and looted.