The Zephyr Song
| "The Zephyr Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers | ||||
| from the album By the Way | ||||
| B-side |
"Body of Water" "Someone" "Out of Range" "Rivers of Avalon" | |||
| Released | August 17, 2002 | |||
| Format | CD, 7" vinyl | |||
| Recorded | March 2002 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, neo-psychedelia, soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:53 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Flea, Frusciante, Kiedis, Smith | |||
| Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |||
| Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Zephyr Song" on YouTube | ||||
"The Zephyr Song" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the second single released from the band's eighth studio album, By the Way, released on August 17, 2002.[1] The song, as a single, was released in two parts. Both editions held two previously unheard-of B-sides, making it, collectively, hold four non-LP tracks.
The single peaked at number 6 on the Modern Rock chart, breaking the band's streak of three straight number-one hits.
The working title for the song during the recording sessions was "Coltraine".
Composition
The song is about nature's healing power and human connection.[1] In April 2017, it was revealed that John Frusciante unintentionally interpolated the song "Pure Imagination" from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The song's opening three guitar notes are the same as the first three sung notes from "Pure Imagination."[2]
Music video
The music video on December 1, 2002, was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The couple has collaborated with the band on other CDs. It is generally suggestive and reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, by utilizing the same circular and intertwining figures in order to illustrate the psychedelic feel the band was aiming for.
| “ | John [Frusciante] and Flea wanted something incredibly, just kind of obscure and psychedelic. Finding true psychedelia in this day and age is really hard to do, because everyone wants to rely on computers and all the stuff that really doesn't know how to find the core of psychedelia. So I had my reservations, but there are some moments in this video where I think it's captured.[3] | ” |
Live performances
"The Zephyr Song" was performed over 120 times from 2002-2004. However, it remained absent from the band's setlists for twelve years until finally returning in 2016.
Track listing
| CD single 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "The Zephyr Song" | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Body of Water" (Previously Unreleased) | 4:41 |
| 3. | "Someone" (Previously Unreleased) | 3:24 |
| CD single 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "The Zephyr Song" | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Out of Range" (Previously Unreleased) | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Rivers of Avalon" (Previously Unreleased) | 3:39 |
| CD single 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "The Zephyr Song" | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Out of Range" (Previously Unreleased) | 3:58 |
| 7" vinyl | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "The Zephyr Song" | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Out of Range" (Previously Unreleased) | 3:58 |
Personnel
Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals, double-tracked lead vocals (chorus)
- John Frusciante – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
- Flea – bass
- Chad Smith – drums, drum machine
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[4] | 21 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] | 11 |
| France (SNEP)[6] | 90 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[7] | 65 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[8] | 22 |
| Italy (FIMI)[9] | 20 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 72 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 9 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] | 100 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13] | 11 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 49 |
| US Billboard US Modern Rock | 6 |
| US Billboard US Mainstream Rock | 14 |
| US Billboard US Adult Pop Songs | 17 |
References
- 1 2 "The 15 Best Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs". PopMatters. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
- ↑ "Turns Out John Frusciante Lifted 'The Zephyr Song' Intro Melody From Willy Wonka Movie". Retrieved 2017-07-12.
- ↑ Anthony Kiedis — The Making Of; The Zephyr Song. Red Hot Chili Peppers Greatest Hits
- ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ↑ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Red Hot Chili Peppers. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song" (in French). Les classement single.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". GfK Entertainment Charts.
- ↑ "Chart Track: Week 43, 20002". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 2002-11-02" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
- ↑ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Red Hot Chili Peppers. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
