Stadium Arcadium

Album: Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about how music can bring people together. In Rolling Stone magazine, lead singer Anthony Kiedis said: "This is from the cup of love - not just love for the individual but for the act of reflecting the light from the heavens back into the world." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Donovan Berry - El Dorado, AR
  • This is one of the few Red Hot Chili Peppers songs that drummer Chad Smith initiated the writing process of. He started a drum beat, and guitarist John Frusciante simply followed. When Kiedis arrived at the studio to Smith and Frusciante jamming, he was blown away by what he heard. "The sound was so big. And sometimes Chad and John have this weird brotherly connection that's very strong. You know, they can get inside of each other, and I heard that happening and I was like, 'Wow,'" he recalled in the album commentary. "It had that sort of reverberating massiveness of the guitar and I just knew it was a song."
    >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Erik - Fairfield County, CT
  • After nearly hitting the apex of the US albums chart with their previously release, By The Way, the Chili Peppers landed their first #1 with Stadium Arcadium. Kiedis told Billboard the album's success was due to their more inclusive approach to songwriting, explaining that "the chemistry when it comes to writing is better than ever. Always in the past, there was a little bit of struggle between Flea, John or myself as contributing writers - a struggle to dominate. But we are now confident enough in who we are, so everybody feels more comfortably contributing more and more valuable, quality stuff."
  • For Stadium Arcadium, the band returned to The Mansion in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, where they recorded their 1991 breakthrough, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, with producer Rick Rubin. The former home of legendary Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, The Mansion not only earned the reputation as a recording studio - hosting acts like Marilyn Manson, System Of A Down, Slipknot, Linkin Park, and Maroon 5 - but as a haunted house. During their first stay, Chad Smith was so creeped out by the idea of ghosts that he refused to stay there overnight.

Comments: 5

  • Genghischronic from OmahaI listened to this song for years, loved it, but had no idea what it meant. The other day I was talking to one of my besties and somehow made the revelation that our perception of reality is all fabricated from a series of reflections, obviously starting around the where to the sun did. A day or two later I make the connection from that revelation to the chrous in this song. I rushed to listen to the lyrics and it lined up perfect. Now being the skeptic that I am, I came here. Anthony's quote will forever had made my day, if not my next few days. He subliminally educated me about a significant realization in life if you're trying to make your coexistion optimal, and I got to jam out the whole time.
  • Mark from New York, NyJhon Frusciante went downhill fast. This is the only real fact as far as Stadium Arcadium goes.
  • Eddie Moran from Jupiter, AntarticaI think this song is about how the audience and the band connect with one another.
  • Mariah from Colorado Springs, CoThis song is obviously a very important and sybmolic song to the band, i mean they named the whole album after it...so it has to show some significance to the album, and I think it does. For me...it makes me think of space. Or people walking arround at night and looking at the moon "a mirror to the moon"
    This is a song kind of like Charlie becuase it leaves alot up to the imagimation. Just like "charlie" be anything you make it just like the "stadium arcadium" what I get from it is that the Stadium Ardadium can be whatever connects you to something bigger then yourself, like reflections from above "a mirror to the moon"
    For me...the "Stadium Arcadium" defines what music is to me becuase it connects us all to something bigger then ourselves
  • Zach from Carlsbad, CaThe X games uses this song and others from the CD in its commercials, and it is cool because I think it represents what they think a stadium arcadium is.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.