Taste The Pain by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Album: Mother's Milk (1989)

Charted: 29

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Songfacts®:

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose in June 1988 before the album was recorded. Anthony Kiedis was also struggling with drugs addiction at the time and shocked by his bandmate's death. He rented out a boathouse, and shut himself in there for three months and tried to wean himself off heroin. While there he wrote this song, which was about feeling the pain of Slovak's death and his own drug addiction.
The backwards verse at the beginning of the song is Anthony Kiedis singing the chorus.
The album was originally planned to be titled Rockin' Freakapotamus, but after the death of Hillel Slovak they changed it. Now "The Rockin' Freakapotamus" is the name of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' fanclub.
The drums on this song were played by Phillip "Fish" Fisher. It was recorded prior to Chad Smiths joining the band.
This was the band's first Top 40 hit in the UK.
This was used in the 1989 movie Say Anything and appeared on the soundtrack before it was included on Mother's Milk.

Comments: 4

Peter from Penistown, IlI definately agree with the first two comments. This song is utterly amazing.
Dylan from Oneida, Wii swear to god i thought this song was about him having cold/ blank sex with a girl liek the kind that doesnt have any meaning but is just using the other person...but now that you mention the band member dieing and considering his stuggles of drug addiction, that makes more sense now
Nick from Waterville, OhAgreed. This is my favorite song on Mother's Milk.
John from Pittsburgh, PaOne of the most underrated Chilis songs out there in my opinion

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