Universally Speaking

Single infobox
Name = Universally Speaking


Artist = Red Hot Chili Peppers
from Album = By the Way
B-side = "Slowly Deeply"
Released = July 2003
Format = CD
Recorded =
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 4:19
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Producer = Rick Rubin
Last single = "Dosed"
(2003)
This single = "Universally Speaking"
(2003)
Next single = "Fortune Faded"
(2003)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Live in Hyde Park
Type = live
prev_no = 9
prev_track = "Easily"
this_track = "Universally Speaking"
track_no = 10
next_track = "Get on Top"
next_no = 11

"Universally Speaking" is the fifth single by US alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 2002 album "By the Way". It is the second track on the album and was released solely in the UK. The track was also included on their live album "Live in Hyde Park" which was recorded over three nights in 2004 at record-breaking shows in London's Hyde Park.

The video for the song features Doug Wilson, who plays a deranged concertgoer who attempts to return a book to vocalist Anthony Kiedis, who left the book in his taxi in the video to "By the Way". The book he is returning to Kiedis is "Lexicon Devil", which is the biography of Darby Crash, the late frontman for the late 70's punk band The Germs. The music video was directed by longtime friend Dick Rude who also directed the video for "Catholic School Girls Rule" and the live DVD "Off the Map".

The covers for the single were taken from the cover of the "By the Way" album. The colors were inverted back to normal, as they had been originally inverted on the cover of "By the Way."

Contrary to popular belief, the B-Side "Slowly Deeply" was originally recorded in the Californication era sessions in 1998, it was not recorded for "By the Way".

XFM online said it was a "fairly upbeat rock ode" and Rolling Stone said it was "beatlesque psychedelia". [Cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/redhotchilipeppers/articles/story/5933290/new_cds_chilis_counting_crows|title=New CDs: Chilis|author=|date=July, 2002|publisher="Rolling Stone"|accessdate=2007-12-13] [ [http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=6524 Singles Released June 16 2003 - Xfm ] ]

The song features Anthony Kiedis' energetic "Let's Go!" at the end of the final chorus, which has become a fan favourite during live performances.

Track list

CD single (2003)
# "Universally Speaking" (Album) – 4:18
# "By the Way" (Live Acoustic) – 4:59
# "Don't Forget Me" (Live) – 5:07

CD version 2 (2003)
# "Universally Speaking" (Album) – 4:20
# "Slowly Deeply" (Unreleased) – 2:40
# "Universally Speaking" (Enhanced Video)

References