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 know... It's here we retreat,
for where else could we go?
To great disbelief there is somewhere we belong.
In negative space supposed flaws go unseen,
but our strength is shown.
In darkness together we're bringing the light.
In darkness together we are forming.
The fire tomorrow is born of the night,
in darkness together we ignite.
From all we've been shunned but we found a new home.
To great discontent it is greatness that we own.
In luminous eyes, reflections of fear absolute...
All hate what we've become.
In darkness together we're bringing the light.
In darkness together we are forming.
The fire tomorrow is born of the night,
in darkness together we ignite.
Through our will we bring fear.
Left to burn beneath the sun.
We are one.
When daylight forms blinding walls where do we go?
Days arid are scorching all.
When daylight forms blinding, binding walls where do we go?
The darkness calls.
for where else could we go?
To great disbelief there is somewhere we belong.
In negative space supposed flaws go unseen,
but our strength is shown.
In darkness together we're bringing the light.
In darkness together we are forming.
The fire tomorrow is born of the night,
in darkness together we ignite.
From all we've been shunned but we found a new home.
To great discontent it is greatness that we own.
In luminous eyes, reflections of fear absolute...
All hate what we've become.
In darkness together we're bringing the light.
In darkness together we are forming.
The fire tomorrow is born of the night,
in darkness together we ignite.
Through our will we bring fear.
Left to burn beneath the sun.
We are one.
When daylight forms blinding walls where do we go?
Days arid are scorching all.
When daylight forms blinding, binding walls where do we go?
The darkness calls.
Lyrics submitted by oofus
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
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 agree that the vampire theme is used to convey a different idea. I totally agree that this song is about people being different and being rejected by society, but instead of conforming they band togetehr with others that are like them or accept them, and become stronger as a group, causing people to fear them even more. And it makes sense that the name of the song is Porphyria is the title of the song sense in the way old days people with porphyria were rejected by society and branded as vampires. Same idea. And My favoritepart of this song is when it goes "When daylight forms blinding walls where do we go? Days arid are scorching all. When daylight forms blinding, binding walls where do we go? The darkness calls." The melody there is so awesome.
Porphyria is skin desease. It prevents a person from goin in light. It severly effects the skin, causing it burn, peel, and blister.
Like a vampire?
it is about a vampire...very good song...strong lyrics
well I said this once already about exanguinations but I feel like Davey uses metaphores that will relate to vampires to get a different theme across. In this case it just seems to me like it's a song about being different from others
"I know it's here we retreat for where else would we go to great disbelief there is somewhere we belong, in negative space supposed flaws go unseen, but our strength is shown" Society rejects the people who are different but there is somewhere they belong and the good things about them are shown there.
Chorus- most of these people who are rejected do seem to like the dark(punks, goths, and what have you) so it's pretty straight forward from that
. . . and yea you get the idea. . . great song
Porphyria is NOT the same thing as vampirism. The reason a lot of people get it confused is because a long time ago, people who had the disease were stigmatized as vampires... you get the idea.
you guys are all idiots its about. its about groups of friends all in depression.
ok guys here it is.... yes Porphyria is a skin defect... but its actually a disease and davey has it... have u ever seen him at warped tour walking around in his black tuxedo and pink umbrella?... yes its funny and dead sexy if u ask me lol j/k but its bc he has that disease and thats wut this song is about
I agree with Punished and Madcappunk. i think that its using vampires refrances to symbolize friends in a depression
If you look at all of Black Sails it seems to relate to a basic time period, Malleus Maleficarum, Exsanguination, Porypheria. They all have a "feel" of the time of witch trials, people with skin deseases thought to be vampires. So it seems he relates this period with his actual feelings. His lyricism relates his problem to something like a sect of people who are outcasted for simple reasons such as a skin problem. Just my 2 cents