10 Worst Hard Rock Lyrics Of The ‘80s

When you think of the ‘80s, many people probably don’t think of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, the band that brought us some of the funkiest jams on Planet Earth actually started off in the era of hairspray rather than the alt-rock ‘90s. Digging into their ‘80s work is a fun time for any rock fan, but their first step up to plate is proof why they didn’t necessarily blow up right out of the gate.

With some of the weakest production to be found on a Chilis record, “True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes” also has one of the doofiest lyric sheets of the band’s early days. The title seems to be fine, which sounds like something that you would see on a bumper sticker for animal protection, but the rest of the song seems to have nothing to do with coyotes. Rather than build on the one really good line they had, Anthony Kiedis just starts spitting out gibberish about going riding through the Hollywood Hills.

On the other hand, the Chilis lyrics don’t always have to be the best to get a rise out of you, with the sticky bass lines and overall groove sinking into your brain from the first few seconds. Kiedis would later improve with songs like “Under the Bridge” and “Knock Me Down,” but this comes off less heartfelt and more like the musings of a frat boy who got ahold of the microphone.