By the Way Lyrics

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  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

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About

Genius Annotation

As the title track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ eighth studio album, “By the Way” reflects the underlying theme of the record—Anthony Kiedis’ love life, and the emotions expressed when one falls in love. To the band’s surprise, their management chose it as the lead single. Guitarist John Frusciante explained,

It wasn’t really our decision to put that song out first, but our managers thought it was an exciting song and their enthusiasm convinced us. I guess they thought that it combined the wild part of our sound with the melodic part of our sound.

The single was an astounding success, leading the US Alternative Rock charts for 14 weeks and reaching the top 10 in various countries (including #1 in Italy and #2 in the UK). Kiedis commented,

I thought that single was an über-bombastic assault of non-commercialism. For it to be so well received was shocking to me, but thrilling at the same time.

The music video, inspired by the Mexican film Amores Perros, sees Anthony Kiedis get kidnapped by a taxi driver. It has a sequel-of-sorts in “Universally Speaking.”

Q&A

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

Does this track have any RIAA certifications?
Genius Answer

Yes. “By the Way” was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA on August 2, 2012.

Credits
Produced By
Background Vocals
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Bass Guitar
Tambourine
Lead Vocals
Recorded At
Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, California.
Release Date
June 10, 2002
Songs That Sample By the Way
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