"The Zephyr Song" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the second single released from the band's eighth studio album, By the Way, released on August 17, 2002. The song, as a single, was released in two parts. Both editions held two previously unheard-of B-sides, making it, collectively, hold four non-LP tracks. This is the largest number of accumulated unreleased studio recorded B-sides any solitary single the Red Hot Chili Peppers have ever released.
The single peaked at number 6 on the Modern Rock chart, breaking the band's streak of three straight number-one hits.
The working title for the song during the recording sessions was "Coltraine". During the By the Way World Tour, the song was played extensively at most live concerts; however, it has not been played in full since 2004.
"The Zephyr Song" features backing vocals reminiscent of the 1960s. The song is about nature's healing power and human connection.
The music video on December 1, 2002, was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The couple has collaborated with the band on numerous other CDs. It is generally suggestive and reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, by utilizing the same circular and intertwining figures in order to illustrate the psychedelic feel the band was aiming for.
Zephyr may refer to:
A zephyr is a garment worn in competitive rowing.
A zephyr is usually a short-sleeved T-shirt with a front opening, with the opening and sleeve ends trimmed in the colours of the club.
Zephyr, as a garment, appears in the 1927 novel Blind Corner by Dornford Yates. "... I followed immediately, clad only in a zephyr and shorts, and was in the boat almost a soon as he."
The Qinetiq Zephyr is a series of lightweight solar-powered UAV originally designed and built by the United Kingdom company, QinetiQ, and is now part of the Airbus High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) programme.
The Zephyr 7 holds the official endurance record for an unrefuelled, unmanned aerial vehicle with its flight from 9 July to 23 July 2010, lasting 336 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds. It could also remain airborne for months thanks to its solar batteries. Record claims have been verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) for both duration and altitude, at 21,562 meters. It more than doubled the previous endurance record for unmanned flight.
In a 2008 demonstration for the US military, a smaller-scale version of the Zephyr (Zephyr 6) performed beyond the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight, however its 82-hour flight at an altitude of 61,000 ft (19,000 m) did not set an official record because FAI officials were not involved in the flight.