Red Hot Chili Peppers have shared a new single, Eddie, their tribute to late Van Halen guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, who passed away in October 2020.
The song is the second single taken from the LA quartet's forthcomingReturn Of The Dream Canteen album, which is set to emerge on October 14, just six months on from the release of their twelfth studio album Unlimited Love. The song follows on from the previously-released single Tippa My Tongue.
Chili Peppers' frontman Anthony Kiedis paid tribute to guitar legend Van Halen while explaining the genesis of the touching commemorative ballad, which namechecks legendary Sunset Strip rock venues such as the Whisky-A-Go-Go and The Rainbow.
"Sometimes we don't realize how deeply affected and connected we are to artists until the day they die," Kiedis explains on social media.
"Eddie Van Halen was a one of a kind. The day after his death [Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist] Flea came into rehearsal with an emotional bass line. John [Frusciante, guitar], Chad [Smith, drums] 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."
Elaborating on the song's lyrics, he continues, "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."
Kiedis' lyrics for the song include the following lines: 'Sailing the Sunset Strip, I'm a bit of a king / Granny would take a trip, I'll be bending the strings / Got hammers in both my hands, such a delicate touch / They say I'm from Amsterdam, does that make me Dutch?'
Listen to Eddie below:
