Peak
14
Weeks
22
Score
2,963
Chart Year
2000
The video was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris in a black-and-white/monochrome Gothic style similar to Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, all influenced by German Expressionist art. Elements of Cubism and work by the graphic artist M. C. Escher are also seen in the video. A cartoonish story line is juxtaposed upon the song; that of a young man's dream sequence. The band members appear dressed in black in unusual locations, with props intended to appear as surreal instruments. Throughout the video Anthony Kiedis with short, platinum hair is seen in a castle tower. His stage persona is different and quite dark when compared to his more energetic performances in other videos. John Frusciante plays a rope down a long corridor as if a guitar. Flea is hanging on high voltage wires and playing them as if they were a bass guitar, and Chad Smith is up on a tower with a rotating medieval clock that serves as his drum kit.[3] Jonathan Dayton: "We did look at Caligari, and we looked at a lot of German Expressionist film. But it was also very important to avoid 'Caligari.' It was both inspiration and something to work around, because it has such a strong, specific style, and there have been other videos that have completely ripped it off." Valerie Faris: "We didn't look at 'Calagari' all that much, really. We did, but then we just left it. We did look at a lot of the works of the futurist artists from the '30s, and the illustrations of the surrealists and from cubism. We were inspired more by paintings than by films…"[citation needed]
In the book Scar Tissue, Anthony Kiedis explains that this song is about his drug addiction. The "slide" is how far he will get back into his drug addiction, since he would stop doing drugs for a time, then get right back into it. "I don't believe it's bad" is a refrence to how he doesn't regret doing drugs.
How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat, it's all I ever I heard your voice through a photograph I thought it up and brought up the past Once you know you can never go back I gotta take it on the other side Well, centuries are what it meant to me A cemetery where I marry the sea A stranger thing could never change my mind I gotta take it on the other side Take it on the other side Take it on, take it on How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat, it's all I ever Pour my life into a paper cup The ashtray's full and I'm spillin' my guts She wanna know am I still a slut? I've got to take it on the other side A scarlet starlet and she's in my bed A candidate for the soulmate bled Push the trigger and pull the thread I gotta take it on the other side Take it on the other side Take it on, take it on How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat, it's all I ever Turn me on, take me for a hard ride Burn me out, leave me on the other side I yell and tell it that it's not my friend I tear it down, I tear it down and then it's born again How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat, it's all I ever had (How long) I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat, it's all I ever
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 12, 2000 | 80 | 46 |
| 2 | Feb 19, 2000 | 72 | 54 |
| 3 | Feb 26, 2000 | 65 | 61 |
| 4 | Mar 4, 2000 | 52 | 74 |
| 5 | Mar 11, 2000 | 51 | 75 |
| 6 | Mar 18, 2000 | 49 | 77 |
| 7 | Mar 25, 2000 | 40 | 86 |
| 8 | Apr 1, 2000 | 37 | 89 |
| 9 | Apr 8, 2000 | 32 | 94 |
| 10 | Apr 15, 2000 | 29 | 97 |
| 11 | Apr 22, 2000 | 29 | 97 |
| 12 | Apr 29, 2000 | 29 | 97 |
| 13 | May 6, 2000 | 29 | 97 |
| 14 | May 13, 2000 | 24 | 102 |
| 15 | May 20, 2000 | 18 | 108 |
| 16 | May 27, 2000 | 14 | 112 |
| 17 | Jun 3, 2000 | 15 | 111 |
| 18 | Jun 10, 2000 | 16 | 110 |
| 19 | Jun 17, 2000 | 19 | 107 |
| 20 | Jun 24, 2000 | 22 | 104 |