Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyric about Carmen Hawk, a model he dated. The song describes their tumultuous breakup as he severed the relationship, thus "breaking the girl." As he points out in the song, she didn't do anything wrong, but he still has to cut her loose. Kiedis' father, Blackie Dammett, explained in his autobiography: "The relationship ended in a fast-moving wildfire. Anthony may not have been as bad as me, but he wasn't exactly monogamous. Carmen contested the breakup and fought it in the court of broken hearts. 'Breaking the Girl' chronicled the emotional pathology and provided another classic lyric."
Although guitarist John Frusciante played on the song (and the entire album), it is his replacement, Arik Marshall, who appears in the video.
Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded the Blood Sugar Sex Magik album at a huge house in Los Angeles with Rick Rubin producing. Anthony Kiedis liked to be alone when he recorded his vocals, so retreated to a bedroom on the second floor to sing his part.
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