Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
White chalk, written on red brick
Our love, told in a heart
It's there, drawn in the playground
Love, kiss, hate or adore
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
I used to carry her satchels
She used to walk by my side
But when we got to her doorstep
Her dad wouldn't let me inside
One Monday morning,
Found out I'd made the grade
Started me thinking,
Had she done the same?
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
One Monday morning,
Found out I'd made the grade
Started me thinking,
Had she done the same?
I hope Jennifer Eccles
Is going to follow me there
Our love is bound to continue
Love, kiss, hate or adore
Singing
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la
Our love, told in a heart
It's there, drawn in the playground
Love, kiss, hate or adore
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
I used to carry her satchels
She used to walk by my side
But when we got to her doorstep
Her dad wouldn't let me inside
One Monday morning,
Found out I'd made the grade
Started me thinking,
Had she done the same?
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
One Monday morning,
Found out I'd made the grade
Started me thinking,
Had she done the same?
I hope Jennifer Eccles
Is going to follow me there
Our love is bound to continue
Love, kiss, hate or adore
Singing
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
I love Jennifer Eccles
I know that she loves me
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
LOL at the girl's name "Jennifer Eccles". It's funny you never meet adults with names like that, but in school they seem to be commonplace.
As for the lyrics, they're fairly self-explanatory I think. Naive playground puppy love etc.
I saw a pretty good documentary which told the story of the band in their own words via interviews, plus plenty of archive footage. At one point in their career they wanted to do some serious stuff. I think it was about the time of King Midas. The management were at odds with this and wanted to stick to the same pop formula which had been so successful. Alan Clarke recalls he, Graham Nash and their wives got together one evening and after a few drinks said "They want stupid songs we'll give 'em one and began to write Jennifer (Alan Clarke's wife) Eccles (Graham Nash's wife's maiden name). Management were happy but by this time Graham was beginning to think his future lay outside the band; which was tough because he and Alan had been together since infants school.
Graham was talking about how corny the whistle was but there is footage of him playing off it with an audience like some seasoned Butlins redcoat. As we know he's a very creative artist but also a true pro to just carry on doing his job.
People outside the UK might not know what "found out I'd made the grade" is about. It refers to the results of the "eleven plus" exam that was (and in some counties, still is) given at the end of primary school, typically at age 11, which would determine what sort of secondary school a student would go on to attend. In this case, the singer has presumably passed the high level of the test, which would qualify him for grammar school (the academic path), and he wonders if Jennifer Eccles might have qualified to be in the same school as he next year.
This bit shows that these two kids are most likely 11 years old, something otherwise not entirely obvious from the lyrics.