Song of the Day: “A Plea” by Flea

Chili Pepper Trades the Funk for Free Jazz

For the last four decades, we’ve known Flea as the guy who made the electric bass seem less like a musical instrument and more of a prop in a high-intensity aerobics workout. But with his new, nearly eight-minute single, “A Plea,” he has apparently decided he’s tired of having his carefree funk-rock buzz killed by the reality of the current state of humanity. So, he’s picking up his trumpet (his first instrument), and declaring himself the new High Priest of Existential Free Jazz to deliver his message: Please stop being dicks to one another.

“A Plea” isn’t a song; it’s a cosmic journey that starts in a smoky, underground L.A. jazz club from the 60s, and ends somewhere in the uncharted outer reaches. Featuring a dream team of modern jazz players—including Jeff Parker and Anna Butterss—the track is expansive, spontaneous, and aggressive in its message.

The music itself is lush. The bass lines are still unmistakably Flea, but they’re less about party grooves and more about tying all of the avant-garde chaos together. And yes, he busts out the trumpet—his first love—to deliver mournful, searching bleats.

But the real showstopper? Flea’s vocal. Around the halfway mark, the man who usually limits his mic time to asking “What’s up, Los Angeles?!” begins a spoken-word, chanted meditation. The lyrics are serious, addressing societal divisiveness and our collective need for love, connection, and peace. He delivers the line, “I don’t care about your fucking politics,” with a sort of passionate, unhinged, and maybe a bit naive, conviction. But, it’s a beautifully sincere call for unity, perfectly underpinned by delivering this profound message while frantically dancing like a French bulldog with the zoomies in the accompanying video.

The whole affair feels like a necessary catharsis for a musician who, along with his fellow Peppers, has been delivering the message of peace and love to stadiums filled with largely deaf ears. It’s a bold, vulnerable, and ultimately moving pivot. Go listen. Just don’t expect to slap along in your car… This one requires a dark room, elbow patched blazer, and black turtleneck to enjoy properly (bongos and beret optional).

Side Note: I tend to avoid singles when recommending songs because I’m old school in my thinking that songs are best experienced in context of the album they were released on. Today’s SotD is an exception because I have no idea if there is going to be an album (Flea has released more singles historically) and I thought it would be more timely and meaningful to get this over to you now rather than wait.

The Song

Spotify:

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-plea-single/1852302990