Breaking the Girl

"Breaking the Girl" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). It was released as the fourth single from their studio album in August 1992 and is a melodic ballad that refers to a turbulent relationship between frontman Anthony Kiedis and his former girlfriend, Carmen Hawk.[2]

"Breaking the Girl"
Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers
from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik
B-side"Fela's Cock"
ReleasedAugust 3, 1992 (1992-08-03)[1]
StudioThe Mansion (Los Angeles, California)
Length
  • 4:55 (album version)
  • 4:27 (single edit)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Flea, Frusciante, Kiedis, Smith
Producer(s)Rick Rubin
Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology
"Suck My Kiss"
(1992)		 "Breaking the Girl"
(1992)		 "Behind the Sun"
(1992)
Music video
"Breaking the Girl" on YouTube

Composition

"Breaking the Girl"'s bridge is marked by a percussion break that builds through the use of increasingly complex rhythms. The percussion instruments consisted of junkyard debris found by drummer Chad Smith, guitarist John Frusciante, and bassist Flea. Frusciante's main riff was inspired by Led Zeppelin's ballads, such as "The Battle of Evermore" and "Friends".[3] The song also makes use of a 12-string guitar and a Mellotron, using the flute patch. It is one of only six songs the group has recorded in the 6/8 time signature,[2] the others being "Porcelain" on Californication, "Love of Your Life" and "Open/Close" from the I'm with You sessions later released on the I'm Beside You double LP compilation, "The Hunter" from The Getaway, and most recently “Tangelo” from 2022’s “Unlimited Love.” Chad Smith said in The Chad & Flea Show that his drumming in the song was inspired by Mitch Mitchell's work in the Jimi Hendrix Experience song "Manic Depression".[4]

Music video

The music video was released on July 30, 1992, and was directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, who had previously made a video for the song "Give It Away".[5] It makes heavy, experimental use of vibrant colors, with the background and costumes changing constantly. The band members adopt surreal appearances and behavior, with Kiedis for example having an overall Princess Leia-esque look, complete with robes and a "donut" hairstyle. The "Breaking the Girl" video is one of only two videos to feature Arik Marshall (who briefly acted as a replacement for guitarist John Frusciante) the other video being for "If You Have to Ask" – though he did not play on either track. The video also features a brief cameo by River Phoenix, who was good friends with members of the band. The woman in the video is model/actress Patricia Velásquez.

Live performances

The song was performed once on the Blood Sugar Sex Magik Tour opening date in 1991, and later reappeared in the band's setlist once in 2000 but not again until 2003. After an eight-year hiatus from being performed, the band added the song to a few setlists on their I'm with You Tour. Kiedis also briefly performed the song with The Roots during his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in November 2014. The song returned after a five-year hiatus from the band's setlist in January 2017 on The Getaway World Tour.

Track listings

CD and 12-inch single (1992)

  1. "Breaking the Girl" (edit)
  2. "Fela's Cock" (previously unreleased)
  3. "Suck My Kiss" (live)
  4. "I Could Have Lied" (live)

CD single version 2 (1992)

  1. "Breaking the Girl" (edit)
  2. "Suck My Kiss" (live)
  3. "I Could Have Lied" (live)

7-inch single (1992)

  1. "Breaking the Girl" (edit)
  2. "Fela's Cock" (unreleased)

Cassette single (1992)

  1. "Breaking the Girl" (edit)
  2. "The Power of Equality" (album version)

Personnel

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Additional musicians

Charts
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 30
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 45
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[8] 94
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] 20
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 48
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 12
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 41
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[14] 19
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[15] 15

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 1, 1992. p. 19.
  2. "10 Best Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs". Diffuser.fm. October 25, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  3. "Tonal Telepathy | John Frusciante unofficial – Invisible Movement | Page 2". Invisible-movement.net. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  4. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Admit They Copied Jimi Hendrix on "Breaking the Girl"". www.guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  5. "RHCP Timeline". Redhotchilipeppers.com. March 28, 2012. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  6. "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Breaking the Girl". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1933." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  8. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 35. August 29, 1992. p. 17. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  9. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Breaking the Girl". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  11. "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Breaking the Girl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  12. "Red Hot Chili Peppers – Breaking the Girl". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  13. "Red Hot Chili Peppers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  14. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  15. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  16. "American single certifications – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Breaking the Girl". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
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