Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis shared a new Instagram post in which he talked about the backstory of their new song, ‘Eddie,’ inspired by the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen.
Following the release of the band’s twelfth album, ‘Unlimited Love,’ in April 2022, it was announced that the RHCP fans wouldn’t have to wait long for a new one since the band’s subsequent record, ‘Return of the Dream Canteen,’ is scheduled to arrive on October 14. They wrote and recorded it during the same sessions of ‘Unlimited Love.’ As the band members thought they had too many good songs, releasing them in two separate records seemed like the right move.
While the first single from the upcoming album, titled ‘Tippa My Tongue,’ dropped on August 19, the second one, ‘Eddie,’ was released on September 23. As the title suggests, the song was a tribute to the late Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who passed away in 2020. In a recent Instagram post, Anthony Kiedis wrote that they realized how much of an influence the late musician had on them when he died.
The day after his death, the RHCP members gathered for a rehearsal, and the song inspired by Eddie appeared on its own after Flea came up with an emotional bassline. The late guitarist meant a lot to all band members and significantly impacted their musical lives. So, they created this track in honor of Eddie and referred to the musician’s early days on the Sunset Strip. They wanted him to be remembered for all his outstanding contributions to music.
Anthony Kiedis’ words on ‘Eddie’ are as follows:
“Sometimes we don’t realize how deeply affected and connected we are to artists until the day they die. Eddie Van Halen was a one-of-a-kind. The day after his death, Flea came into rehearsal with an emotional bassline. John, Chad, and I started playing along, and pretty soon, with all our hearts, a song in his honor effortlessly unfolded.
It felt good to be sad and care so much about a person who had given so much to our lives. Although the song doesn’t speak to Eddie by name, it talks about his early days on the Sunset Strip and the rock n roll tapestry that Van Halen painted on our minds. In the end, our song asks that you not remember Eddie for dying but for living his wildest dream.”
Below, you can see the photo they posted and listen to the song.
Photo Credit: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Instagram
