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."
Woke up in the morning in a temple
Kinda lucky on my feet for it was central
So I walk across the village
Saw a group of kids pillage
And I thought to myself I might be meant to
You see
Pilgrims in the town
All seem to hold a frown
Say all they want to be is diggy down
You know Speck thought he'd ask
But figured it's just a mask
This guy's on something else that's profound
I'm not the stool or the fool or the leader here to rule
Not the lover or the fighter who came here to duel
But I thought I looked into, but I walked into
So I can understand all the rules, cool?
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties, meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
Who's ever watched the world that's my motto
Don't ever want to play the head honcho dig but huh
If you try to push I won't beat around the bush
Straight up you're getting dissed on the pronto
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties, meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
If I could, I'd solve the problems of the world that exist
If I could always chill, I would without resist
If you weren't so literal, brother you might get it
Pack my bags, tambourines, and jeans so don't sweat it
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties, meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
As the journey continues I gain current instincts
I feel I know what they must be thinking, for instance
When they speak in riddles I'm left with the question
But won't stop arguments to kill attention
They all got a sixth sense to be one another
So pilgrims seek refuge undercover
Where it's fly like birds to live a lot is absurd
Try telling that to this kid named Unver
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you, can be that
I met him on tour a week on for twenty four
He was born in the village, but left in ninety four
Now he's still got probs he doesn't know how to solve
I said, "Unver, I've been there before"
In the light of understanding I forgot it
Sometimes the boat shakes when you rock it
I told him we are like family, a part of humanity
Don't overdo, and don't toss it
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you, can be that
He dug and moved on with his life
'Cause he digs it gets real dark at night
Don't want a collar that's blue or a reflection of you
Just wants us to get his plight
Myself I'd like the years just to take me away
It might leave a part of this world in dismay
But the village calls the pilgriming negroes
After all I'm just one needle in the hay
Now what I'm speaking in is symbolics
But you can call it what you want to call it
See all that I do is throw words, and I hope that you caught it
Only got one arrow but I aim for two targets
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
You can be that, you can be that
Kinda lucky on my feet for it was central
So I walk across the village
Saw a group of kids pillage
And I thought to myself I might be meant to
You see
Pilgrims in the town
All seem to hold a frown
Say all they want to be is diggy down
You know Speck thought he'd ask
But figured it's just a mask
This guy's on something else that's profound
I'm not the stool or the fool or the leader here to rule
Not the lover or the fighter who came here to duel
But I thought I looked into, but I walked into
So I can understand all the rules, cool?
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties, meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
Who's ever watched the world that's my motto
Don't ever want to play the head honcho dig but huh
If you try to push I won't beat around the bush
Straight up you're getting dissed on the pronto
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties, meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
If I could, I'd solve the problems of the world that exist
If I could always chill, I would without resist
If you weren't so literal, brother you might get it
Pack my bags, tambourines, and jeans so don't sweat it
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties, meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
As the journey continues I gain current instincts
I feel I know what they must be thinking, for instance
When they speak in riddles I'm left with the question
But won't stop arguments to kill attention
They all got a sixth sense to be one another
So pilgrims seek refuge undercover
Where it's fly like birds to live a lot is absurd
Try telling that to this kid named Unver
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you, can be that
I met him on tour a week on for twenty four
He was born in the village, but left in ninety four
Now he's still got probs he doesn't know how to solve
I said, "Unver, I've been there before"
In the light of understanding I forgot it
Sometimes the boat shakes when you rock it
I told him we are like family, a part of humanity
Don't overdo, and don't toss it
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be, you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet, my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you, can be that
He dug and moved on with his life
'Cause he digs it gets real dark at night
Don't want a collar that's blue or a reflection of you
Just wants us to get his plight
Myself I'd like the years just to take me away
It might leave a part of this world in dismay
But the village calls the pilgriming negroes
After all I'm just one needle in the hay
Now what I'm speaking in is symbolics
But you can call it what you want to call it
See all that I do is throw words, and I hope that you caught it
Only got one arrow but I aim for two targets
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Might take a village ever long to see that
Don't break your ties meet my pal compromise
And the kid you want to be you can be that
You can be that, you can be that
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Mountain Song
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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.
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Blue
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“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.
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
This is one of my most favourite songs.beautiful and meaningful lyrics!