"Desecration Smile" is a song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...

 and was on their 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium

Stadium Arcadium

Stadium Arcadium is the ninth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on May 9, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. The album produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow ", "Desecration Smile", and "Hump de Bump"...

. The song was the fourth song released from the album however the single was not released in the U.S..

The song was first heard by fans when it was played at the Bridge School Benefit

Bridge School Benefit

The Bridge School Benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. The concerts are all organized by musician Neil Young and his wife, Pegi....

 in 2004. The song was bootlegged and can be found on the internet. However, the structure and chorus of the song are different from the version released on Stadium Arcadium.

Formats and track listings

CD single 1 5439 19997-8

1. "Desecration Smile"
2. "Joe" (Previously Unreleased) – 3:54

CD single 2

1. "Desecration Smile" 9362 49991-9
2. "Funky Monks" (live) – 6:29
3. "Save This Lady" (Previously Unreleased) – 4:17

Promo Single PR016186

1. "Desecration Smile (Album Version)"
2. "Desecration Smile (Radio Edit)"

7" picture disc 5439 19997-6

1. "Desecration Smile"
2. "Funky Monks" (live) – 6:29

Music video

The music video was shot and released in February 2007 and directed by "Under the Bridge

Under the Bridge

"Under the Bridge" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on March 10, 1992 as the second single from the group's fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics to express a feeling of loneliness and despondency, and to reflect on...

" director Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant

Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...

. It was shot entirely in one take with one camera and featured the band huddled together singing all the way through.

There is also an alternate version of the band singing and playing their instruments by the ocean cut together with parts of the official video.

Chart performance

Chart (1999)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	27
Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...	24
New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...	33