"Universally Speaking" is a song by 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...

 from their 2002 album By the Way

By the Way

By the Way is the eighth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on July 9, 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. It sold over 286,000 copies in the first week, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The singles from the album included "By the Way", "The...

. It fifth and final single from the album and was released solely in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. The track was also included on their live album Live in Hyde Park

Live in Hyde Park

Live in Hyde Park is a live album released by the Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded over three record-breaking nights at Hyde Park, in London on June 19, 20 and 25, 2004 during the band's Roll On The Red tour. These three concerts became the highest grossing concerts at a single venue in history...

and their Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits (Red Hot Chili Peppers album)

Greatest Hits is the second compilation album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released on November 18, 2003 by Warner Bros. Records. Aside from their cover of "Higher Ground", all songs on the compilation are from their tenure on Warner Bros...

album.

The video for the song features Dave Sheridan, who plays a deranged concertgoer who attempts to return a book to vocalist Anthony Kiedis

Anthony Kiedis

Anthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...

, who left the book in his taxi in the video to "By the Way

By the Way (song)

"By the Way" is a song by American funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It is the title track and the first single released from the band's eighth studio album of the same name...

". The book he is returning to Kiedis is "Lexicon Devil: The Fast Times and Short Life of Darby Crash and the Germs", which is the biography of Darby Crash

Darby Crash

Darby Crash was an American punk musician who, along with long time friend Pat Smear , co-founded The Germs...

, the late frontman for the late 70's punk band The Germs

The Germs

The Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane...

 and was written by Brendan Mullen

Brendan Mullen

Brendan Mullen was born in Paisley, Scotland and moved to Manchester, England when he was 8. He spent his early teen years writing for various British music magazines. In 1973, Mullen moved to the United States where he remained for the remainder of his life. Mullen had just started working toward...

. The music video was directed by longtime friend Dick Rude

Dick Rude

Dick Rude is a writer, director, and actor known for his appearance in and contributions to many Alex Cox films. He has directed the music videos "Catholic School Girls Rule" and "Universally Speaking" for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as their live concert DVD, Off the Map.His most recent...

 who also directed the video for "Catholic School Girls Rule

Catholic School Girls Rule

"Catholic School Girls Rule" is a song from the 1985 album Freaky Styley by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The song is inspired by a 14-year-old girl who attended a local Catholic school that singer Anthony Kiedis briefly encountered backstage at a concert before discovering her age.Although never...

" and the live DVD Off the Map.

The cover for the single is the same as the cover of the By the Way

By the Way

By the Way is the eighth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on July 9, 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. It sold over 286,000 copies in the first week, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The singles from the album included "By the Way", "The...

album, except the colours were reverted 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

Californication (album)

Californication is the seventh studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on June 8, 1999 on Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Rick Rubin, Californication marked the return of John Frusciante, who had previously appeared on Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik, to replace...

 era sessions in 1998, it was not recorded for By the Way.

XFM

Xfm

Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...

 online said it was a "fairly upbeat rock ode" and Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

said it was "Beatlesque

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 psychedelia".

Version 1 (2003)

1. "Universally Speaking" (remix) – 4:18
2. "By the Way
   By the Way (song)
   "By the Way" is a song by American funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It is the title track and the first single released from the band's eighth studio album of the same name...
   
   " (live acoustic) – 4:59
3. "Don't Forget Me" (live) – 5:07

Version 2 (2003)

1. "Universally Speaking" (remix) – 4:20
2. "Slowly Deeply" (unreleased) – 2:40
3. "Universally Speaking" (enhanced 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