Under The Bridge - Cover Versions

Cover Versions

"Under the Bridge" has been covered several times since its release in 1992. The song was first transcribed in 1994 by the a cappella group The Flying Pickets from their album The Original Flying Pickets: Volume 1. Notable jazz musician Frank Bennett covered the song by fusing elements of big bands and bebop in his 1996 album Five O'Clock Shadow. Hip hop artist Mos Def included the beginning verse of "Under the Bridge" in the song "Brooklyn," from his 1999 record Black on Both Sides. He, however, changed the line "the city I live in, the City of Angels", which refers to Los Angeles, to "the city I live in is beautiful Brooklyn," to match his song's premise. Tony Hadley covered the song on his 1995 album Obsession. Britain's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has modified "Under the Bridge" at several concerts—they perform various rock pieces combined into a single orchestral ensemble, often including the Chili Peppers' hit.

Alternative hip hop band Gym Class Heroes performed "Under the Bridge" on the 2006 assemblage Punk Goes '90s, an album that compiled popular rock songs from the 1990s being covered by contemporary artists. Gym Class Heroes continued to play "Under the Bridge" during their tour; lead singer Travis McCoy has said it is "a timeless song. It's one of those songs you hear and are like 'Damn did this shit just come out?'" The most successful cover version of "Under the Bridge" was released in 1998 by the British/Canadian pop band All Saints, with the single reaching number one in the United Kingdom. The cover removed the final verse of the song that discusses drug use. Red Hot Chili Peppers were, however, displeased with this version; Kiedis felt the cover was poorly recreated and, with the omission of the final verse, it lost all personal significance. The 1993 "Weird Al" Yankovic song "Bedrock Anthem," is part parody of "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away." Yankovic's satire includes an intro similar to that of "Under the Bridge". In 2009, the Stanley Clarke Trio covered the song from his album "Jazz in the Garden."