Some of the lyrics seem to be about hedonism and drug use, notably the refrain "I like pleasure spiked with pain." The line, "Sitting in my kitchen, I'm turning into dust again" is most likely a reference to lead singer Anthony Kiedis' relapse, as his kitchen was where he would often do drugs. >>

Flea played some slap bass on the verses of this song using a Treker Louis Johnson Signature 4-string. In an interview with Bass Player magazine, he explained that the song gave him a little trouble. Said Flea: "'Aeroplane' was the only song I was worried about-I thought it sounded like another stupid white boy trying to be funky! I put it out anyway, but it's the one thing I'd go back and fix. When I played it live in the studio with the band, the bass didn't record right for some reason, so it was one of the few things I had to overdub. The part kept feeling stiff to me, as if it wasn't my day; I wasn't flowing with the drums. I wanted to redo it, but Rick (Rubin, producer) said, 'It's cool.'"