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."
At a time when the world seems to be spinnin'
Hoplessly out of control
There's deceivers and believers and old in-betweeners
That seem to have no place to go
Well it's the same old song, it's right and it's wrong
And livin' is just something that I do
And with no place to hide, I looked in your eyes
And I found myself in you
I looked to the stars, tried all of the bars
And I've nearly gone up in smoke
Now my hand's on the wheel of somethin' that's real
And I feel like I'm goin' home
And in the shade of an oak, down by the river
Sat an old man and a boy
Settin' sails, spinnin tales, and fishin' for whales
With a lady that they both enjoy
Well it's the same damn tune, it's the man in the moon
It's the way that I feel about you
And with no place to hide, I looked in your eyes
And I found myself in you
And I looked to the stars, tried all of the bars
And I've nearly gone up in smoke
Now my hand's on the wheel of somethin' that's real
And I feel like I'm goin' home
Hoplessly out of control
There's deceivers and believers and old in-betweeners
That seem to have no place to go
Well it's the same old song, it's right and it's wrong
And livin' is just something that I do
And with no place to hide, I looked in your eyes
And I found myself in you
I looked to the stars, tried all of the bars
And I've nearly gone up in smoke
Now my hand's on the wheel of somethin' that's real
And I feel like I'm goin' home
And in the shade of an oak, down by the river
Sat an old man and a boy
Settin' sails, spinnin tales, and fishin' for whales
With a lady that they both enjoy
Well it's the same damn tune, it's the man in the moon
It's the way that I feel about you
And with no place to hide, I looked in your eyes
And I found myself in you
And I looked to the stars, tried all of the bars
And I've nearly gone up in smoke
Now my hand's on the wheel of somethin' that's real
And I feel like I'm goin' home
Lyrics submitted by fallacies
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I think this song is about being lost..not knowing where to go, but then to look in your girl's eyes..and finding out that you aren't lost. Everything seems to make sence. "And I found myself in you"
I always thought this song was about a man disappointed with himself. He's depressed too: "Living is just something that I do." His redemption is his woman, and he's trying not to lose that too. "Hands on the Wheel," I think, means he's trying to keep control of that relationship in his life.
This song was the conclusion to Nelson's brilliant Red Headed Stranger. This songs not about being lost. It is about being found by new love. It is about a life of redemption. "An' in the shade of an oak down by the river, Sit an old man an' a boy, Settin' sail, spinnin' tales an' fishin' for whales, With a lady they both enjoy." Don't listen to the song. Listen to the whole album!
This song is very meaningful to me. Not sure why these other people would think he's singing about his 'girl' or his 'woman' (although that's part of it).
I think he is saying that in a crazy world where 'deceivers and believers' are all telling us what life is all about, and what its purpose is and what we should be doing with our life, he, like most people has spent his life trying to figure it out for himself. He looked to the stars (heaven), and bars (vice), but finally found it in his relationships.
"An[d]' in the shade of an oak down by the river, Sit an old man an' a boy, Settin' sail, spinnin' tales an' fishin' for whales, With a lady they both enjoy."
This is obviously a man, his son, and a 'lady' who is the mother figure. Likely he is saying he found life's meaning or 'something real' in his relationship with this lady and his son. We may likely infer that he fell in love with a lady, they had a son, and now he has found true meaning in life... meaning that religion or vice could not give him. He looks into their eyes and has finally found himself. (It's not specific whether it's the lady's or boy's eyes he looks into, but perhaps we can guess its both).
I think it's about his Dad. "Well it's the same damn tune, it's the man in the moon". A reference to Cats In The Cradle.