Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California lyrics

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California lyrics

Getting born in the state of Mississippi
Poppa was a copper and my momma was a hippie
In Alabama she would swing a hammer
Price you gotta pay when you break the panorama
She never knew that there was anything more than poor
What in the world does your company take me for?

Black bandanna, sweet Louisiana
Robbin' on all the bank in the state of Indiana
She's a runner, rebel and a stunner
On her merry way saying baby what you gonna
Lookin' down the barrel of a hot metal. 45
Just another way to survive

Chorus:

California rest in peace
Simultaneous release
California show your teeth
She's my priestess, I'm your priest
Yeah, yeah

She's a lover, baby and a fighter
Should've seen her coming when it got a little brighter
With a name like Dani California
Day was gonna come when I was gonna mourn ya
A little lonely she was stealing another breath
I love my baby to death

Chorus:

California rest in peace
Simultaneous release
California show your teeth
She's my priestess, I'm your priest
Yeah, yeah

Who knew the other side of you
Who knew what others died to prove
Too true to say goodbye to you
Too true, too say say say

Push the fader, gifted animator
One for the now and eleven for the later
Never made it up to Minnesota
North Dakota man was a gunnin' for the quota
Down in the badlands she was saving the best for last
It only hurts when I laugh
Gone too fast

Chorus:

California rest in peace
Simultaneous release
California show your teeth
She's my priestess, I'm your priest
Yeah, yeah

California rest in peace
Simultaneous release
California show your teeth
She's my priestess, I'm your priest
Yeah, yeah

Lyrics taken from /lyrics/r/red_hot_chili_peppers/dani_california.html

Songwriters: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, John Frusciante, Michael Balzary

Dani California lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group

Corrected by blob4ever

hot lyrics

Dani California meanings

Best
Recent
4 meanings

w

+ 5
waterlily1 2011-05-15 07:36:53

He fell in love with a girl bandit, like Bonnie and Clyde. He (the narrator) was from poor as dirt people in Alabama. His mom, the hippie ends up doing time "swing the hammer" is like hard time. He takes off with a gun totin crazy girl and she robs banks for a living. She is a fugitive on the run, but keeps robbing banks until some lawman drops the dime on her. Saving the best for last, I think she takes a bullet. "It only hurts when I laugh" he is stating the ironic and ultimate ending that he knew would happen eventually. The thing about faders and animators and 1 for now eleven for later reminds me of the line in Spinal Tap. It's some Cali reference to recording studios, I think. The California rip is where the relationship ended, I guess. Cali show your teeth is kind of like, California just looks really balmy and beautiful but it eats people up. But maybe the whole song means nothing and they just wanted to use all the states names and rhyme a bunch of random words. It probably means nothing!

Add your reply
s

+ 2
spongeyday 2009-07-07 15:04:02

This is good song and I think the meaning's none other than: the girl rhcp sings about "Dani California" was becoming a priestess along with her mother, who thought everybody was poor and became a bandit to earn money for some company that helps the poor. Dani, however is sweet, not like her mother, and loves her fellow priests, rhcp. People in Sacremento thought rhcp were the priestesses and thought the priests were Dani and her mom.
*Lyrics seemed 2 disappear*.

Add your reply
x

+ 1
Xaneboy 2009-02-09 04:45:40

I think this song is about a husband and wife, Dani California, the husband was a cop the wife was a hippie when they had a kid I think she did something that made the whole community freak out. So she took the kid and fled. She robbed banks along the way just to get by. They made it to North Dakota when a man wanted the reansom on Dani's head so he either killed her or took her to jail. Now the son cries when he thinks of her.

1 reply
U

- 1
Unregistered 2015-04-21 16:56:46

Wow! Finally got to know the lyrics! Funny enough, my husband sings this out loud. I have issues about him and his ex, which he has caused me to suffer he'll never admit that he did love her which leaves me wondering and hearing this song has made me realise I think I'm with the wrong guy. Even after 20 years and her name... was Danni! No surprise!

Add your reply

Write about your feelings and thoughts about Dani California

Know what this song is about? Does it mean anything special hidden between the lines to you? Share your meaning with community, make it interesting and valuable. Make sure you've read our simple .

U

or log in with

Min 50 words

Not bad

Good

Awesome!

View 10 more explanations

Add your explanation

Write an explanation

20 words

Good

Cool

Awesome!

Explanation guidelines:

Describe what artist is trying to say in a certain line, whether it's personal feelings, strong statement or something else.
Provide song facts, names, places and other worthy info that may give readers a perfect insight on the song's meaning.
Add links, pictures and videos to make your explanation more appealing. Provide quotes to support the facts you mention.

Before you get started, be sure to check out these explanations created by our users: good, very good, great.

Request explanation

Ask us or our community about the part of the song that interests you
We will try to respond as soon as possible

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z