Aquatic Mouth Dance is, in the words of Anthony Kiedis, “an ode to an older time”. The lyrics revolve around Kiedis' rough life during the 80’s, but reflecting on them in a positive light, since they made him what he is today.

Aquatic Mouth Dance is littered with references to the early years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Anthony Kiedis reflects on The Message and Rapper’s Delight, two songs that inspired him to become a vocalist, and gives a not-so-subtle nod to Mother’s Milk in the bridge. Even its title is a reference to American Ghost Dance, a song from RHCP’s second album Freaky Styley, as both songs invoke a similar funky feeling. (Hump de Bump was originally known as Ghost Dance 2000 for the same reason.)

Aquatic Mouth Dance was the first song from Unlimited Love to have its name revealed; Anthony Kiedis mentioned the name in an episode of The Butterfly Forecast on November 2nd, 2021.