How an Ex-Girlfriend From His Early 20s Inspired Anthony Kiedis To Write This Red Hot Chili Peppers Classic

Art inspires art, and that is most certainly the case for the Red Hot Chili Peppers classic “Give It Away.” The band released the song as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The song reached No.1 on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart in 1991. But the secret behind the lyrics is that lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis based them on his ex-girlfriend, Nina Hagen.

“Give It Away” Was Inspired by Anthony Kiedis’ Ex

Kiedis and Hagan dated briefly when Kiedis was 20 years old. Hagan is a German singer-songwriter. Kiedis saw Hagan as a musical and personal mentor who According to Kiedis, taught him that giving stuff away brings good energy into your life. This newfound mindset directly inspired Kiedis to write “Give It Away.”

It all started when Kiedis complimented a jacket Hagan was wearing. Hagan insisted Kiedis keep the jacket for himself, and that is when she taught him that giving things away brings good energy.

“I had been thinking about this concept Nina planted in my mind,” said Kiedis in Fornication: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story by Jeff Apter. “She believed that the more she gave, the more she received. When I got sober, I realized that sobriety revolved around giving something away to maintain it. So this idea of ‘give it away’ was turning in my head for a while.”

Kiedis had the lyrics in mind, but it wasn’t until a summer recording session, when lead bassist Flea started playing a new bassline, that Kiedis had music to go with the words.

“This idea of give it away had been tornado-ing around in my head for a while. When Flea started hitting that bassline, that tornado just came out of my mouth.”

Well, in 1993, that tornado turned into a Grammy Award winner for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards. The song remains a classic for this American rock band. The band continues to play “Give It Away” live, unlike many other rock songs that have died out.

The lyrics still serve as a reminder that, to receive good things, you have to give things in return. “Greedy little people in a sea of distress/ Keep your more to receive your less.”