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."
Were you neurotic as a child?
Did they come around and watch you're style?
Did you have plans to be a star?
Did you have plans to become more than you are?
More than you are,
More than you are,
More than you are now?
Maybe being there was far to obscene,
Swing it high or swing it low
Swing it anytime that you want to go
More than you are,
More than you are,
More than you are now?
Alright
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Alright
Were you neurotic as a child
Did they come around and watch you style
Did you have plans to be a star
Did you have plans to become more than you are?
More than you are
More than you are
More than you are now?
Did they come around and watch you're style?
Did you have plans to be a star?
Did you have plans to become more than you are?
More than you are,
More than you are,
More than you are now?
Maybe being there was far to obscene,
Swing it high or swing it low
Swing it anytime that you want to go
More than you are,
More than you are,
More than you are now?
Alright
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Alright
Were you neurotic as a child
Did they come around and watch you style
Did you have plans to be a star
Did you have plans to become more than you are?
More than you are
More than you are
More than you are now?
Lyrics submitted by cherrypunkker07
More Than You Are Lyrics as written by Phil Jamieson Pat Davern
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this is the best grinspoon song!
yeah this song's (sic) i luuuurv it
This was better performed live... his screams were more grungy =) Awesome song tho....
Oh i heard this song live the other night. Woah it was... i cant find a word to add up to it
Best song from Grinners.
no doubt the best grinspoon song ever, or maybe no reason both awesome,i like the live version better too, good on you grinners!!!
sounds like it might be about people putting lots of pressure on him early in life, expecting him to do big things, but he feels like it was all a bit too much and he failed in someway.
that, or a song to all those people in the world who had dreams of making it big as a rock star, and never had the chance.
This song always seemed to me to be Phil saying "did you wanna be a rockstar ? think you had potential when you were young? Well I did, and now I am a rockstar, and I'm better than you". Exemplified by the main bit:
I'm more than you are More than you are More than you are now
However that "now" at the end would be Phil's admission that he lifted himself up, and you can do the same, so make something of your life and achieve your dreams.
However, given that it first appeared on the Green EP in 1995 (which is the best version), and no one really knew who Grinspoon was at that point, I could be wrong, as Phil proclaiming he was a rockstar at that point and that he's better than everyone would have been a little presumptious..
Always has struck me as weird when people sing this song back to Phil at concerts.. because it seems to be Phil saying "I rule and you currently suck", for the reasons above.