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 can't seem to face up to the facts
I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax
I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire
Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh
You start a conversation, you can't even finish it
You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again?
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ce que j'ai fait, ce soir-là
Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir-là
Réalisant mon espoir
Je me lance vers la gloire, okay
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
We are vain and we are blind
I hate people when they're not polite
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ai-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh
I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax
I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire
Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh
You start a conversation, you can't even finish it
You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again?
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ce que j'ai fait, ce soir-là
Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir-là
Réalisant mon espoir
Je me lance vers la gloire, okay
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
We are vain and we are blind
I hate people when they're not polite
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ai-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh
Lyrics submitted by Novartza, edited by eskimocorn
Psycho Killer Lyrics as written by Chris Frantz David Byrne
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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/
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.
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.
Meaning of french lyrics : Qu'est-ce que c'est => what is it
Ce que j'ai fais, ce soir la => what i've done that night Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir la => what she said that night Realisant mon espoir => realizing my hope Je me lance, vers la gloire ... => I'm going to glory
Who cares about classifications and genres? Punk is one of the biggest abominations in music. Not the music itself, but the word "punk". Like l0ki86 said, "punk" refers to bands like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. But the Sex Pistols never called themselves punk, the press did. Then it became a style of music, and the rest is history.
But, to me, punk is just doing what ever you want to, regardless of what other people think. When you TRY to act "punk", wearing chains and torn clothes and stuff just because that's what you think punk is supposed to be, then you are the farthest from true punk as possible. I think that someone wearing Hollister clothes because that's what they want to wear, without trying to fit in, is being more punk than someone spiking their hair because its trendy.
Therefore, punk is in and of itself a contradiction. It is the label of an idea that is against labels. I don't think punk has to be a style of music, or a way to dress, or anything like that. True punk is just a state of mind, and nothing more.
So, with that mentality, Talking Heads are punk. So is Radiohead. So is Elton John.
But, seriously, WHO CARES???
Now this is what i call a cop-out , runaround answer.
It's just more cerebral, philosophical even.
Hahahahaha... Philosophical?!!
He's right. Who cares? If it sounds good it sounds good, why does it matter about the classification?
WTF! This is Amurikka! Cut out your thoughtful, insightful attempts at independent thought and just blend the hell in like you are supposed to. truth-out.org/news/item/10144-texas-gop-declares-no-more-teaching-of-critical-thinking-skills-in-texas-public-schools<br /> Can you imagine the chaos if everyone tried pulling this crap? That's a can of worms you do not want to open. Just ask Edward Snowden. techdirt.com/articles/20140327/08140826708/there-is-no-oversight-nsa-withheld-documents-intelligence-committee-heads.shtml This is the kind of stuff that ends with every phone in a COUNTRY getting wiretapped. prosociallab.com/america-may-get-call-records-of-any-country/
@Crippled Pilgrim Agreed. I'm just wondering who is claiming or disagreeing with the fact that this song is obviously punk?
@Crippled Pilgrim agreed!!
Here's a little trivia for you. Patrick Bateman, the main character in the film and novel American Psycho states in the book (not in the movie version) that The Talking Heads is his favorite band, no doubt an allusion to this song.
In the Stop Making Sense DVD, David Byrne said that the song is about a serial killer that finds himself very sophisticated but he just loses control once in awhile. "look at me, i can speak french. im intelligent." is what the serial killer is trying to say...errr..David Byrne is trying to project. but hell, let it mean whatever you want. thats music
I think this song is about how our daily stress can turn us into psycho killers, but only in our imagination. Have you ever imagine yourself killing someone that really pisses you off? Or felt so bad about a lot of things that you can't sleep and that if someone dare to touch you they'd better run away? I think everyone is a potencial psycho killer and that's what this song means to me
In my opinion he's simply talking to himself... It sounds appropiately neurotic and it's a way to demonstrate why he can't interact with other people normally and a self-criticism.... He's bashing himself, accumulating rage, which explodes on the chorus and the French-sung part.
I am going to us the Hannibal Lector example again (used in may comment for Handlebars by The Flobots) for this song. In the book, Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal makes Agent Starling almost comfortable, like she can trust him. He acts like a gentleman, but we all know the horror that he is able to unleash. David Byrd is Pretty much conveying this message in Psycho Killer, as long as you look at this song in the exclusively literal sense.
@Hydra2 David who?<br />
I'm guessing that no one who's been here is bipolar. Out of all the famous people that i wonder about, i think that Byrne wins in the category of most likely to be bipolar. Symptoms of mania include talking a lot, not being able to sleep, exessive joke making, sometimes being euphoric and sad at the same time, talking to one's self, jumping from subject to subject-- sometimes in the middle of a sentence, enhanced creativity, a stronger likelyhood of being an artist, etc. Other Talking Heads lyrics include, "Can't stop/ I might end up in the hospital.", and "There's a party in my mind/ And the party never stops... everyone else can sleep, etc." In the movie Stop Making Sense David asks himself, "Ever been to a psychiatrist or taken drugs?" He responds, "I'll tell you later." I think that part of the meaning of the song, in typical eliptical style, is the ridcule of peoples' preconceptions of what "pychos" are like. Bipolar people when manic have an average murder rate.
@alfonsoo Byrne is a self-actualising creature (or was at this time - at least.. As an artist though, he will deliberately explore neurosis from this point of Strength. But what do we actually know?
The song is about a generic serial killer. He's trying to impress you with the French. That's what Byrne said.
Also, Talking Heads technically New Wave, though I don't really feel they fit into the genre.
@GTKarber They were formed long before New Wave, New Wave was in the early eighties.
On the live version of the song the lyrics change. Original: "You start a conversation you can't even finish it You're talkin' a lot, but you're not sayin' anything When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed Say something once, why say it again?"
From album "The Name of the Band is Talking Heads" "I passed out hours ago I'm sadder then you'll ever know I close my eyes on this sunny day Say something once, why say it again?"