By The Way- Red Hot Chili Peppers

Growing up there was a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers played in my house. I can remember so many family sing alongs to their songs on car trips, on the way to soccer games, and even in the car on our way the my great grandma, Nana's, funeral. They have been a huge part of my life, they have helped me get through so many difficult situations, and they've been there to celebrate when something good has happened. This is one of those bands that whenever they come on the radio we stop and listen; I hope it's always that way for me.

There's always been one song in particular that has been special to me, "By The Way". This is the song that caused me to think of the dreamy future I was going to have with my current crush, it made me think of my parents saying they'd always be there for me, and it gave me ideals about relationships that still hold true for me today. I understand how this song can seem kind of meaningless and stupid- to put it simply- but what you need to understand is that as a child I listened to it at least once every three weeks (or at least it seemed that way) and it sounded like a great relationship he had with 'Dani the girl'.

My dad always joked that if we could tell hime everything that Anthony Kiedis (lead singer) said (and yelled and sort of rapped) throughout the song. Once I attempted this challenge and as the song played I told my dad my best guess of what they were saying. When the song was finally over, I remember turning to him with a somewhat triumphant feeling and asking 'how did I do?' and he told me he honestly didn't have any real idea what he was saying and he hadn't been listening to what I was guessing; I think he just found the sheer idea that I was putting some much effort into his impossible challenge rather funny. After looking up the lyrics a few years after that, I realized that I had no idea what he was saying either, but I still felt triumphant when I saw that I had correctly guessed three lines of his incoherent shouting.

Circa 2002
(left to right: older brother Brendan, my grandma Alyce,
and the strawberry blonde with her tummy hanging out
is yours truly) 

The most distinct memory I ave involving this song is when I asked my mom with such bewilderment, after having heard this song over and over for a few years 'what's a mocky?'; this caused my mother to burst out laughing. After she recovered though, she first explained that the word was 'marquee' then told me that it was the thing over old movie theaters that tells you what's playing. I was a very precocious child who was sort of a perfectionist (still am for the most part), so I couldn't tell why my questions always made my parents laugh, but I now realize it was probably just the fact that it was a question at all and that I so adorably clueless about the world.

I will have Red Hot Chili Peppers' music playing at every important event in my life in all likelihood (and most likely the totally mediocre ones as well) simply because their music is so perfectly versatile and it causes me to feel so many different things at once. No matter how much my children argue, I will blast "By The Way" in the car and they will be forced to sing along. I am hoping for the day when my baby girl will look up at me with confusion in her eyes and ask me 'what's a mocky?'

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Website
Watch the "By The Way" Music Video