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."
I won't let the sun go down on me
forty winks in the lobby
make mine a G&T
then to my favourite hobby
searching for an enemy
here in your paper houses
stretching for miles and miles
old men in stripey trousers
rule the world with plastic smiles
good or bad, like it or not
it's the only one we've got
i won't let the sun go down on me
i won't let the sun go down
mother nature isn't in it
three hundred million years
goodbye in just a minute
gone forever, no more tears
pinball man, power glutton
vacuum inside his head
forefinger on the button
is he blue or is he red?
break your silence if you would
before the sun goes down for good
i won't let the sun go down on me
i won't let the sun go down
forty winks in the lobby
make mine a G&T
then to my favourite hobby
searching for an enemy
here in your paper houses
stretching for miles and miles
old men in stripey trousers
rule the world with plastic smiles
good or bad, like it or not
it's the only one we've got
i won't let the sun go down on me
i won't let the sun go down
mother nature isn't in it
three hundred million years
goodbye in just a minute
gone forever, no more tears
pinball man, power glutton
vacuum inside his head
forefinger on the button
is he blue or is he red?
break your silence if you would
before the sun goes down for good
i won't let the sun go down on me
i won't let the sun go down
Lyrics submitted by Marelle
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
"I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song by singer Nik Kershaw, first released on his hit debut album Human Racing. The song was written during the latter part of the Cold War period when nuclear war between the two superpowers of the USSR and USA was still a very real concern, and the lyrics reflect a satirical view of politics and the threat of war with lines such as: "old men in stripey trousers, rule the world with plastic smiles", and: "forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red?" "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" only reached number 47 in the UK charts when first released. However, the follow-up single from the same album, "Wouldn't It Be Good", reached the top five and on the back of that success "I Won't ..." was re-released and soared to number two. It was also subsequently a major hit in several other countries and was responsible for bringing Nik Kershaw to greater public attention. In Kershaw's version, the synth tune was produced with an Oberheim OB-8 played by Paul Wickens (Wix).