Peak
69
Weeks
19
Score
950
Chart Year
2000
The video, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, takes the form of a fictional open world video game that depicts each of the band members on some sort of adventure in a California setting, particularly San Francisco and Los Angeles, which ends when the world is ravaged by an earthquake and the avatars are replaced by the live action band members. The music video for "Californication" is the group's most watched video on YouTube, having officially reached a billion views on December 5, 2022
A song about the deterioration of society, this reflects how the world is becoming very superficial and plastic, much like California. The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Hollywood and are quite familiar with the quirky nature of life in Los Angeles. As written in the dictionary, "fornication" refers disapprovingly to any sexual activity outside the confines of marriage. >> The lyrics, "Cobain can you hear the spheres singing songs off station to station and Alderaan's not far away, it's Californication," get in a few pop-culture references: Kurt Cobain, David Bowie's album Station To Station, and Alderaan - the planet Princess Leia was from in Star Wars. Alderaan was destroyed by The Empire, implying that the world is being destroyed. >> A 30-minute instrumental song by The Cure called "Carnage Visors" was a big influence on this. The Cure song is from 1981 and was written as a score for a movie. When it was released, Flea called Californication "the best record the Chili Peppers have ever made." The lyrics, "Celebrity skin is this your chin, or is that war your waging," get in a reference to Celebrity Skin, the third and final album from the band Hole. Hole was formed by Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain's wife. >> Many of the lyrics tell a story about the plastic unrealistic image that Hollywood sells to the world and yet how obsessed people are with attaining that fame and that forever young image. For example: "Little girls from Sweden dream of silver screen quotations." - Becoming famous. "Pay your surgeon very well to break the spell of aging" - The obsession with being forever young, the image that Hollywood sells. "And buy me a star on the boulevard, It's Californication." - The dream of becoming famous. "Space may be the final frontier but it's made in a Hollywood basement." - The image that Hollywood sells is manufactured. >> Amazingly it appeared that writers for the Showtime comedy drama Californication did not negotiate with the Red Hot Chili Peppers before borrowing this song's title for their show. Consequently the rock group filed a lawsuit against Showtime on November 19, 2007 seeking damages and restitution and asking the court to issue a permanent injunction barring further use of the title. In addition, one of the characters in the program played by Rachel Miner was given the nickname Dani California, the title of a 2006 Chili Peppers song, and one episode featured a character describing California as "the edge of the world and all of western civilization," a line from "Californication." >> The video mixed live footage with a simulated video game where each band member is on a different virtual adventure. This wasn't easy to do in 1999, when computer modeling was still rudimentary. It looks very dated, but the concept was innovative, predating Ready Player One by 19 years. The directors were Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who were storytellers, not virtual effects artists. They went on to direct the films Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and Battle Of The Sexes (2017).
Psychic spies from China try to steal your mind's elation And little girls from Sweden dream of silver screen quotation And if you want these kind of dreams it's Californication It's the edge of the world and all of Western civilization The sun may rise in the East at least it's settled in a final location It's understood that Hollywood sells Californication Pay your surgeon very well to break the spell of aging Celebrity skin, is this your chin, or is that war you're waging? First born unicorn Hardcore soft porn Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Marry me, girl, be my fairy to the world, be my very own constellation A teenage bride with a baby inside getting high on information And buy me a star on the boulevard, it's Californication Space may be the final frontier but it's made in a Hollywood basement And Cobain can you hear the spheres singing songs off Station To Station? And Alderaan's not far away, it's Californication Born and raised by those who praise control of population Well, everybody's been there and I don't mean on vacation First born unicorn Hardcore soft porn Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Destruction leads to a very rough road but it also breeds creation And earthquakes are to a girl's guitar, they're just another good vibration And tidal waves couldn't save the world from Californication Pay your surgeon very well to break the spell of aging Sicker than the rest, there is no test, but this is what you're craving? First born unicorn Hardcore soft porn Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Dream of Californication Dream of Californication
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 29, 2000 | 72 | 54 |
| 2 | Aug 5, 2000 | 72 | 54 |
| 3 | Aug 12, 2000 | 72 | 54 |
| 4 | Aug 19, 2000 | 77 | 49 |
| 5 | Aug 26, 2000 | 79 | 47 |
| 6 | Sep 2, 2000 | 77 | 49 |
| 7 | Sep 9, 2000 | 75 | 51 |
| 8 | Sep 16, 2000 | 84 | 42 |
| 9 | Sep 23, 2000 | 85 | 41 |
| 10 | Sep 30, 2000 | 79 | 47 |
| 11 | Oct 7, 2000 | 74 | 52 |
| 12 | Oct 14, 2000 | 69 | 57 |
| 13 | Oct 21, 2000 | 74 | 52 |
| 14 | Oct 28, 2000 | 75 | 51 |
| 15 | Nov 4, 2000 | 77 | 49 |
| 16 | Nov 11, 2000 | 71 | 55 |
| 17 | Nov 18, 2000 | 78 | 48 |
| 18 | Nov 25, 2000 | 89 | 37 |
| 19 | Dec 2, 2000 | 97 | 29 |