Breaking the Girl Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I am a man cut from the know
Rarely do friends come and then go
She was a girl, soft but estranged
We were the two our lives rearranged

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Feeling so good that day
A feeling of love that day


[Chorus]
Twisting and turning, your feelings are burning
You're breaking the girl
(She meant you no harm)
Think you're so clever, but now you must sever
You're breaking the girl
(He loves no one else)

[Verse 2]
Raised by my dad, girl of the day
He was my man, that was the way

She was the girl left alone
Feeling the need to make me her home

[Pre-Chorus 2]
I don't know what, when, or why
The twilight of love had arrived
[Chorus]
Twisting and turning, your feelings are burning
You're breaking the girl
(She meant you no harm)
Think you're so clever, but now you must sever
You're breaking the girl
(He loves no one else)

[Instrumental Bridge]

[Chorus]
Twisting and turning, your feelings are burning
You're breaking the girl
(She meant you no harm)
Think you're so clever, but now you must sever
You're breaking the girl
(He loves no one else)

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About

Genius Annotation

Released as the fourth single from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1991 album, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, “Breaking the Girl” is about a relationship that frontman Anthony Kiedis had with his former girlfriend, Carmen Hawk. Although the lyrics initially convey Kiedis' strong feelings for Hawk at the start of their relationship, they soon shift to describe the emotional fallout of a shattered relationship.

The song’s bridge is highlighted by an instrumental break of increasingly complex rhythms, building up to a thumping climax. A collection of metal debris sourced from a local junkyard was used in place of percussion instruments.

The surreal music video was released in 1992 and was directed by Stéphane Sednaoui. It features a heavy, experimental use of colors, with constantly changing costumes and backgrounds.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Red Hot Chili Peppers say about "Breaking the Girl"?
Genius Answer

In the Red Hot Chili Peppers' “Funky Monks” documentary, Anthony Kiedis spoke about the making of “Breaking the Girl” alongside footage of the recording process:

What did producer Rick Rubin say about the song?
Genius Answer

Rubin told Rolling Stone,

I was living in California at the time, and it was really fun for me to work with the Chili Peppers, because I was new to Los Angeles, and the Chili Peppers were so ensconced in Los Angeles culture. It’s like after the Beach Boys, the next California band was the Chili Peppers. They really were the Los Angeles band. That was like my “Welcome to Los Angeles.” I loved just going out with them. I got to really experience Los Angeles in a local way being with them, and it was really a beautiful experience.

We recorded in this house that was amazing. It was just a beautiful place and a beautiful vibe. “Breaking the Girl” was the first record we made together, and it had a really beautiful John Frusciante guitar part.

Anthony [Kiedis] sang it in one of the bedrooms on the second floor of the house by himself. He didn’t ever want to have anybody see him when he was singing, so he was always kind of in a remote place. We were listening in the control room and speaking to him, and that idea for the rhythm breakdown — I can’t remember if it was Flea’s or John’s idea — but it came up, so everyone played together. So everybody picked their pots or pans or loud metallic instruments for this percussive jam session, and it worked out really cool. It just gave it an interesting flavor on the record and it really stood out.

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