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."
Did you hear the news about Edward?
On the back of his head he had another face
Was it a woman's face or a young girl?
They said to remove it would kill him
So poor Edward was doomed
The face could laugh and cry
It was his devil twin
And at night she spoke to him
Things heard only in hell
But they were impossible to separate
Chained together for life
Finally the bell tolled his doom
He took a suite of rooms
And hung himself and her from the balcony irons
Some still believe he was freed from her
But I knew her too well
I say she drove him to suicide
And took poor Edward to hell
On the back of his head he had another face
Was it a woman's face or a young girl?
They said to remove it would kill him
So poor Edward was doomed
The face could laugh and cry
It was his devil twin
And at night she spoke to him
Things heard only in hell
But they were impossible to separate
Chained together for life
Finally the bell tolled his doom
He took a suite of rooms
And hung himself and her from the balcony irons
Some still believe he was freed from her
But I knew her too well
I say she drove him to suicide
And took poor Edward to hell
Lyrics submitted by merchantpierce
Poor Edward Lyrics as written by Thomas Alan Waits Kathleen Brennan
Lyrics © JALMA MUSIC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is a true story. It is about a man named Edward Mordrake who lived in England. He had a woman's face on the back of his head, the face did not eat or speak. But as the song tells, it could laugh and cry. No doctor wanted to attempt to remove it. So he commited suicide at the age of 23.
This song is not exactly true. Your correct about it being based on Edward Mordrake. He was possibly a 19th century English man with nobility. He is claimed to have rejected his nobility and committed suicide when 23, there is no medical/historical evidence to back up the truth of this 'folklore' however. . Either way, true or not, a great song.
He alledged the head would whisper terrible things to him at night as the lyrics say.
Yes very nightmarish that's the word. I used to think this song was sad. When I heard it with headphones I could only think of the face behind Edward's back. I felt something I never felt before that could only be compared to fear, I guess. How he would have lived must have been horrible. He probably wasn't going out often and when he was alone at home, well, he wasn't alone. All of his thoughts must have been on this face he had behind his head. It's as if I could see Edward looking at himself in the mirror while I'm listening to this song. Something very deep is within this song and it is as if Edward's soul would be a part of the violin being played. Very eerie.
this song is way deeper than just being about the Edward Mordrake story. it is wreathed in the same theme of obsession that is in many of the "alice" tracks. though truly horrifying are the images of a man with a face on the back of his head the "was it a woman's face or a young girl" line suggests he can never escape from the one he loves but can never have and it just leads to madness and tragedy. the entire song is just an eerie metaphor
beautiful haunting song.
This conjures up perfect Victorian Carnivale imagery.
this song gives me nightmares. it's beautiful though.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Mordrake
to me this song depicts a scitzophrenic. the man with two phsycological faces one the side that he opens to the world the other the part of him he tries to keep locked away within himself.