Thought that I could make you whole.

Goodbye Angels//Red Hot Chilli Peppers//Getaway//June 17th 2016

We all know these guys- they’re insane. They dance around with socks on their genitalia and make you feel like they come up with most of their lyrics when they’re stoned out of their mind. Goodbye Angels is one of the songs from their newest albums and is quite mature in comparison to most Rhcp songs (see Give it Ared-hot-chili-peppers-press-bw-2016-billboard-650-1548way or Can’t Stop). I love the theme of trying to save the one you love and having to watch them slowly degrade themselves. I have, personally, come to learn that love cannot save anyone, I mean we tend to think that true love is supposed to be some form of salvation and yearn to escape into it. However, that’s all love can be- an escape. Have you ever fallen in love with someone who is broken and lives in either misery or destroy their happiness with the pessimism that it will soon perish? Well if you have then this is the song for you and if you haven’t, maybe this song could give you a certain insight. Furthermore, the problem with falling in love with a damaged person, as Antony Kiedis says, you can never forget them.

We think we can save someone from themselves, by giving them all the love we have to offer, thinking it will somehow make up for whatever dissatisfaction they have in their hearts. If you try and read between the lines, this is a song about a lover who has accepted the broken nature of his beloved and is now merely eulogizing everything about her, still reproachful that he was unable to save her. Despite his accepting nature of her suicidal tendencies and depression, he schadsmithclinictill subtly tells her that the decision she is making, will  help her in no way. He is not aggressively trying to get her to change her decisions but is soothing and warm with his love. He offers to be her “friend to kiss you in the courtyard” because he knows that regardless of everything, he can never stop looking at her as if she were an angel. He keeps reassuringjoshhhher that he would do anything to save her or have her stay in his life, which I think is an integral aspect of dealing with sadness. A person with depression doesn’t need to listen to your advice regarding how to get rid of it; all they need to know is that they’re not alone in this and that as they throw themselves into an abyss, you’re still going to stand there with a torch and rope.

What makes this song even more ethereal is Josh Klinghoffer’s incredible ability as a guitarist , the evergreen bassist Flea and the slow and progressive drumming by Chad Smith. 039c3c4a0c3bee3e6af62fd32609d703 Klinghoffer’s back up vocals add an plaintive tinge to Kiedis’ more straightforward voice. I have to admit, I wasn’t very expectant of Klinghoffer fitting into the shoes of the incredible John Frusciante, but in this song he showcases his true abilities. The guitar solo at the end of the song takes my breath away, even after having listened to it multiple times. I think it’s this incredible blend of rock and funk which basically encapsulates everything the Chilli Peppers stand for. Maybe one day you’ll fall in love with someone’s broken heart and you’ll realize they are as beautiful as Kiedis makes it seem. It’s those sad souls that never see themselves for the beautiful souls they are and they have this incredible ability to love with everything they have or disregard everything they believe. They shut themselves out or open up like a magnificent flower. Perhaps, the worst/best part is that once you’re in, you have no out.

One thought on “Thought that I could make you whole.

  1. While I do not have personal experience with the situation that you are talking about, I do have some understanding. When I am feeling down, it is usually my friends that bring me back up. Many times it is just by letting me know that they are there for me, no matter what. Even without the good music, I think this message of camaraderie makes this song great.

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