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"The Zephyr Song"
The artist and song title handwritten onto a yellow-and-orange saturated photo of a tree
Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers
from the album By the Way
B-side
  • "Body of Water"
  • "Someone"
  • "Out of Range"
  • "Rivers of Avalon"
ReleasedAugust 17, 2002 (2002-08-17)
GenrePsychedelic rock
Length3:53
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Rubin
Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology
"By the Way"
(2002) 		"The Zephyr Song"
(2002) 		"Can't Stop"
(2003)
Music video
"The Zephyr Song" on YouTube

"The Zephyr Song" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released as the second single released from their eighth studio album, By the Way (2002), on August 17, 2002. The song, as a single, was released in two parts. Both editions held two previously unheard-of B-sides, making it, collectively, hold four non-LP tracks. The single peaked at number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock chart, breaking the band's streak of three straight number-one hits.

Composition

The song is about nature's healing power and human connection.[1] In April 2017, it was revealed that John Frusciante unintentionally interpolated the song "Pure Imagination" from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The song's opening three guitar notes are the same as the first three sung notes from "Pure Imagination".[2]

Music video

The music video, which was released on September 30, 2002,[3][4] was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The couple previously collaborated with the band on other videos and would continue to work with the band through the middle of the 2000s. It is generally reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, by utilizing circular and intertwining figures to achieve the psychedelic feel the band was aiming for. Kiedis would later say of the video:

John and Flea wanted something incredibly, just kind of obscure and psychedelic. Finding true psychedelia in this day and age is really hard to do, because everyone wants to rely on computers and all the stuff that really doesn't know how to find the core of psychedelia. So I had my reservations, but there are some moments in this video where I think it's captured.[5]

The music video also features Flea's partner at the time, Tobey Torres.[4]

Track listings

CD single 1
No.TitleLength
1."The Zephyr Song"3:52
2."Body of Water"4:41
3."Someone"3:24
CD single 2
No.TitleLength
1."The Zephyr Song"3:52
2."Out of Range"3:58
3."Rivers of Avalon"3:39
CD single 3
No.TitleLength
1."The Zephyr Song"3:52
2."Out of Range"3:58
7" vinyl
No.TitleLength
1."The Zephyr Song"3:52
2."Out of Range"3:58

Personnel

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "The Zephyr Song"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[33] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "The Zephyr Song"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States August 17, 2002 Maxi-CD Warner Bros. [1]
September 16, 2002
[34]
Australia October 7, 2002 CD [35]
United Kingdom October 21, 2002 [36]
Japan October 23, 2002 [37][38]

References

  1. ^ a b "The 15 Best Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs". PopMatters. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  2. ^ "Turns Out John Frusciante Lifted 'The Zephyr Song' Intro Melody From Willy Wonka Movie". Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  3. ^ "Timeline". redhotchilipeppers.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Paul Brannigan (July 15, 2014). "How Red Hot Chili Peppers Conquered The World With By The Way". loudersound. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  5. ^ Anthony Kiedis — The Making Of: The Zephyr Song. Red Hot Chili Peppers Greatest Hits
  6. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  7. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  8. ^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on December 3, 2002. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  9. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 46. November 9, 2002. p. 23. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  10. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  11. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  12. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  13. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Red Hot Chili Peppers". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  14. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". Top Digital Download. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  15. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  16. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  18. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  20. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  21. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  22. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  23. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  24. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  25. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  26. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002". Jam!. January 14, 2003. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  27. ^ "Most-Played Modern Rock Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 44.
  28. ^ "The 2002 Allstars: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 52.
  29. ^ "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. December 19, 2003. p. 22.
  30. ^ "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Modern Rock Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. December 19, 2003. p. 43.
  31. ^ "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. December 19, 2003. p. 47.
  32. ^ "British single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  33. ^ "American single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Zephyr Song". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  34. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1470. September 13, 2002. p. 45.
  35. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 7th October 2002" (PDF). ARIA. October 7, 2002. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 6, 2002. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  36. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 21 October 2002: Singles". Music Week. October 19, 2002. p. 27.
  37. ^ "ザ・ゼファー・ソング C/Wボディ・オブ・ウォーター,サムワン | レッド・ホット・チリ・ペッパーズ" [The Zephyr Song c/w Body of Water, Samwan | Red Hot Chili Peppers] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  38. ^ "ザ・ゼファー・ソング C/W アウト・オブ・レンジ,リヴァーズ・オブ・アヴァロン | レッド・ホット・チリ・ペッパーズ" [The Zephyr Song c/w Out of Range, Rivers of Avalon | Red Hot Chili Peppers] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
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