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."
JAMIE, in bed.
JAMIE:
Hey, kid--good morning--
You look like an angel.
I don't remember when we fell asleep.
We should get up, kid--
Cathy is waiting...
Look at us, lying here,
Dreaming, pretending.
I made a promise and I took a vow.
I wrote a story,
And we changed the ending--
Cathy, just look at me now!
Hold on, facts are facts--
Just relax, lay low.
All right, the panic recedes:
Nobody needs to know.
Put on my armor--
I'm off to Ohio.
Back into battle 'til I don't know when.
Swearing to her that I
Never was with you,
And praying I'll hold you again.
Hold on, clip these wings--
Things get out of hand.
All right, it's over, it's done--
No one will understand.
No one will understand...
We build a treehouse,
I keep it from shaking--
Little more glue ev'ry time that it breaks.
Perfectly balanced,
And then I start making
Conscious, deliberate mistakes.
All that I ask for
Is one little corner--
One private room at the back of my heart.
Tell her I found one,
She sends out battalions
To claim it and blow it apart.
I grip and she grips,
And faster, we're sliding.
Sliding and spilling, and what can I do?
Come back to bed, kid--
Take me inside you--
I promise I won't lie to you.
Hold on, don't cry yet--
I won't let you go.
All right--the panic recedes;
All right--everyone bleeds;
All right--I get what I need,
And nobody needs
To know.
Nobody needs to know.
And since I have to be in love with someone,
Since I need to be in love with someone,
Maybe I could be in love with someone
Like you...
JAMIE:
Hey, kid--good morning--
You look like an angel.
I don't remember when we fell asleep.
We should get up, kid--
Cathy is waiting...
Look at us, lying here,
Dreaming, pretending.
I made a promise and I took a vow.
I wrote a story,
And we changed the ending--
Cathy, just look at me now!
Hold on, facts are facts--
Just relax, lay low.
All right, the panic recedes:
Nobody needs to know.
Put on my armor--
I'm off to Ohio.
Back into battle 'til I don't know when.
Swearing to her that I
Never was with you,
And praying I'll hold you again.
Hold on, clip these wings--
Things get out of hand.
All right, it's over, it's done--
No one will understand.
No one will understand...
We build a treehouse,
I keep it from shaking--
Little more glue ev'ry time that it breaks.
Perfectly balanced,
And then I start making
Conscious, deliberate mistakes.
All that I ask for
Is one little corner--
One private room at the back of my heart.
Tell her I found one,
She sends out battalions
To claim it and blow it apart.
I grip and she grips,
And faster, we're sliding.
Sliding and spilling, and what can I do?
Come back to bed, kid--
Take me inside you--
I promise I won't lie to you.
Hold on, don't cry yet--
I won't let you go.
All right--the panic recedes;
All right--everyone bleeds;
All right--I get what I need,
And nobody needs
To know.
Nobody needs to know.
And since I have to be in love with someone,
Since I need to be in love with someone,
Maybe I could be in love with someone
Like you...
Lyrics submitted by BroadwayBratt
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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,
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.
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.
okay, i signed up for this website so that i could reply to sophia.
maybe i shouldn't bitch about this, there are people like you all over the place. i understand where you're coming from, with all the screaming teenage fangirls who paint themselves green and memorize every word of wicked and call themselves broadway fans.
i love the last five years. it's one of my favorite shows. i love songs for a new world. i love nine. i love...i don't know. les mis. and you know what else? i love wicked and hairspray. i'm not a screaming teenage fangirl. i just think they're both really good shows. their fanbase hasn't ruined them for me. shows like...spring awakening...either.
sorry i just ranted to you for no reason, you probably don't care, and i shouldn't care about what you said. i just felt like ranting. maybe i come off as an idiot. anyway.
and idina menzel is in my list of top five favorite actresses. by the way. and i'm not ashamed.
He is cheating on Cathy with a young virgin.
I've heard that this Jason Robert Brown had an affair with Daisy Prince, the director of his other show, 'Songs For Another New World', and so Elise, the character he is singing to in this song, is based on her.
The whole show is about his story with his wife except his wife story is starting at the end of the marriage thing and going backwards and hes going forwards. its a really neat show. i
i'm house managing a production of this and i'm STOKED. it's a beautiful show, much better than the OMGILOVEHAIRSPRAYANDWICKED crap you can find everywhere.
jrb
When i heard this song at work, stocking shoes, i literally stopped everything i was doing and listened. norbs voice paired with the lyrics and melody and whatnot of this song is just stunning.
This relationship is creeply like mine and my boyfriend's only I'm jamie and he's cathy. sad..