Don't Forget Me

Album: By The Way (2002)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about lead singer Anthony Kiedis' drug addictions. The line, "I'm the rainbow in your jail cell all the memories of everything you've ever smelled" talks about his rehab and how he was literally locked in a cell for two weeks to get over his addictions. "I'm the bloodstain on your shirt sleeve coming down and more are coming to believe" is talking about the blood on his sleeves after shooting up. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Dan Slosh - Sydney, Australia

Comments: 24

  • Gabriel Macedo M Fonseca from RjAnd all this time I toght it was talking about a girl! Lol
  • AnonymousObviously its about drug addiction but like all great art you can take however you want.

    For me there is this inverted meaning, sure heroin will always be there for you as an addict but its also the revelation that we are not alone and there many things that can offer you break from your own inner world. All people are locked in a jail cell of there own experience and ego but life offers you these secret paths out of singular experience. Drug can offer this but so can art, music, friendship, creativity, love, and community have the ability offer release from the loneliness of existence. "Methlab" or "dirty break beat(music/dance)", "two legs that spead inside a tool shed(f--king)"it is all ego death, So it can be viewed as heroin offering you a release or it is Anthony offering another way. All will be revealed my friend.

    Ultimately it is about release from the ego.
  • Seth from TuscaloosaThe song is certainly about drugs, but so much more about the underlying reasons for why someone would turn to drugs, as well as the draw of addiction ("I'll be there, tell me when you wanna go.") Also, the son talks about how it will all be revealed, the answers to the questions that haunt all pf us - "I'll be there, tell me when you wanna go" - As if heroin is the answer to understanding. If you have ever struggled with drug addiction, you can understand how some drugs seem to answer a lot of questions to the infinite, unexplainable universe.

    This song is truly incredible, one of the highlights of not only this album but the Red Hot Chili Peppers career.
  • Peter from London TownConsidering this song is about the pitfalls of heroin addiction, written, perhaps, from the perspective of that addiction, the line '2 legs that you spread inside the tool shed' have always made me think of the heartbreaking photograph of Kurt Cobain's legs as seen in the police photographs of his suicide.
  • Scott from Cape Cod, MaThis song is written from the addiction's perspective. As if heroin were singing. Taunting and warning the addict that the addiction is always there waiting for a relapse " I'm the blood stain" "I'm the meth lab" etc. when he says I'll be there, tell me when you want to go, It's the heroin tempting him to come back to using
  • Joe from Wilmington, DeI've always taken this as the RHCP's version of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil", except instead of Mick Jagger singing Satan's first-hand account of history, Anthony Kiedis is singing from the first-hand perspective of the Demon of Addiction and its constant presence throughout Kiedis's life. Kiedis references junkie times in his life that are explained in his autobiography "Scar Tissue" ("...take it all off and step inside a running cab...", "...rainbow in your jail cell...") and then sings about the presence of the demon even though he is now clean ("...not alone, I'll be there, tell me where you want to go.").
  • Anna from Seattle, Wa"More will be revealed" is an NA (Narcotics Anonymous) term. I think this is my favorite song of theirs. I can't stay still when I hear it. It has a constant drivng thump (bass I guess, I know nothing about music), it snakes round and round you and it sparkles and shimmers too. These elements are nearly visual at times for me. It's good for Middle Eastern dance styles (with the blinds pulled down of course, lol!)
  • Bertrand from Paris, FranceOne of RHCP's most underrated tracks, it stands out as a classic perfect piece of all times. It's possibly my favorite song off of By The Way.
  • Anderw from Philadelphia, PaAfter reading the comments about Hillel, I realized thath the title of the song is "Don't Forget Me," as in don't forget Hillel. At least that's what I think it might be in reference to. Love the song.
  • David from Lol Hiawatha, NjI've heard that this song was about their lives , I always thought each verse was about a differnt member in the band starting with Anthony,john, flea then chad. in the 2nd part"it says I'm a meth lab" i'm not saying he did it but for the 8 or so years he left by the time he came back it looked 20 years. Meth would explain that. It also talks about rehab, whitch he went to. In the 3rd part of the song it says I'm a pot head witch would explain flea.
  • Mark from Worcester, MiJohn Frusciante was angered by Rick Rubin who made him use a particular guitar on this song.
  • Liam from Utrecht, Armeniai think it's my favorite peppers song especialy the slane version, its so amazing. i like the the fact that the songs start very slowly, then goes to it's peak in the middle and goes slowlier again. its like a paramid
  • Jack from Niceville, FlEvery time I listen to this song .... I just get chills down my back .... especially on the Slane version
  • Liz from Sydney, AustraliaRyan, right on the money. I'll see you there brother.

    This moves me sooooooo much... talk about down and out.


  • Lola from Norwich, United KingdomOne of my favourite Chili's songs- actually, one of my all time favourite songs.
    For some reason the line I find the most touching is 'teach you how to dance inside the funny farm'.
  • Nick from Lancaster, OhThis is one of my top 5 favorite RHCP song.
  • Nikie from Stockholm, SwedenI've heard this song is about everything God is, and it sounds good to me.
    "There's a love that knows the way"
    "Not alone, I'll be there tell me when you want to go"
  • Michelle from Sydney, AustraliaThe part of the song where Anthony says "2 legs that you spread inside the toolshed" possibly refers to a rendevous with a girl called Grace in junior high where Anthony got permission to leave class for something related to the school newspaper, but took her to the bathroom (and after someone found them kissing) to the toolshed where they had sex in the middle of class time.
  • Krysten from Odessa, TxI don't think this album is very upbeat. It's quite dark, except in some spots, in my opinion. But this is a hauntingly beautful song. By The Way has a lot of those, and might just be my favorite Chili Pepper's record.
  • Matt from Pembroke , MaThe whole album is upbeat and melodic. I was watching an interview with Frusciante on youtube and he was discussing how it came to be. His influences changed once again and he started to get heavily influenced by the beach boys (probably pet sounds) and concentrated on melodies that eventually shaped what I believe is the RHCP's best work. Having new influences and changing sounds from album to album is a great thing I think and they did it again on stadium arcadium which is great in its own way.
  • Cara from PerthRyan, I always found a great comfort in that line too :)
  • Dan from Detroit, MiEric, the reference to "im the blood stain, on your shirt sleeve, comin down and more comin to believe" is a reference to andy's addiction and not hillel's, although much of the song is a reference to the memory of kedis's best friend.
  • Eric from Cinci, OhI would like to post the fact that Dan Slosh of Sydney Australia is right in the fact that dont forget me is about drug addiction, however, where dan lacks accuracy is in the fact that its about Anthony Kiedis, the song is actually about his life time friend and former Chili Peppers guitarest, Hillel, who died from a herion overdose. All the refrences in the song, "im the blood stain", "Im the rainbow", "im the methlab" these are all the things anthony is, and he is saying that he was and always will be part of hillel.
  • Ryan from Baton Rouge, LaWhen Anthony says "There's a love that knows the way" I think he is talking about God. God is the way.
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