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."
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Your mama's gone away and your daddy's gonna stay
Didn't leave nobody but the baby
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn
Didn't leave nobody but the baby
You're sweet, little babe (You're sweet, little babe)
You're sweet, little babe (You're sweet, little babe)
Honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop
Gonna' bring a bottle to the baby
Don't you, weep pretty babe (Don't you, weep pretty babe)
Don't you, weep pretty babe (Don't you, weep pretty babe)
She's long gone with her red shoes on
Gonna' need another lovin' baby
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
You and me and the Devil makes three
Don't need no other lovin' baby
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Come and lay your bones on the alabaster stones
And be my ever-lovin' baby
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Your mama's gone away and your daddy's gonna stay
Didn't leave nobody but the baby
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn
Didn't leave nobody but the baby
You're sweet, little babe (You're sweet, little babe)
You're sweet, little babe (You're sweet, little babe)
Honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop
Gonna' bring a bottle to the baby
Don't you, weep pretty babe (Don't you, weep pretty babe)
Don't you, weep pretty babe (Don't you, weep pretty babe)
She's long gone with her red shoes on
Gonna' need another lovin' baby
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
You and me and the Devil makes three
Don't need no other lovin' baby
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Go to sleep you little babe (Go to sleep you little babe)
Come and lay your bones on the alabaster stones
And be my ever-lovin' baby
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
It is a lullaby that was sung by slaves. It has a sweet melody for the baby, and is a way for the singer (most likely an older slave that can no longer do hard labor) to express what has happend (just as if you were singing to a baby and making up the words as you go.) The words are more for the singer than the baby. The song is sung to the baby but is truly a way for the singer to express.
go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe
your momma's gone away and your daddy's gone to stay (actual lyric is gone to stay) didn't leave nobody but the baby (the mom has left and the dad has died)
go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe
everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn didn't leave nobody but the baby (everyone else has gone to work and the singer is left with the baby)
you're a sweet little babe you're a sweet little babe
honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop gonna bring a bottle to the baby (honey in the rock means to fill with delight from the truths of faith, the 'sugar' is the sweetness of the 'honey')
don't you weep pretty babe don't you weep pretty babe
she's long gone with her red shoes on gonna need another loving babe (this line is explaining where the mother has gone, alot of people think this means she is a harlot, but i think the red shoes are a symbol for the blood on her worn feet. she is a slave and made to work. the next line refers to the fact that she has lost her baby and woman that have lost a baby need the hole left by the loss filled)
go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe
you and me and the devil makes three don't need no other lovin' babe (the 'devil' here is the slave owner. Its just the singer, the baby and the slave owner left. The second line is expressing her love for the baby)
go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe
come lay bones on the alabaster stones and be my everlovin' baby (Alabaster stones are used for healing,they have to heal themselves. The singer has now taken on the role of mother, the second line refers to her inviting the baby to be hers forever)
@mysong25 Amazing breakdown of the lyrics. Just listening to Another Day, Another Time as Gillian Welch, Carey Mulligan and Rhiannon Giddens sang the shit out of this song.
Thank you. Reading the other answer almost made my head explode. Like if you don't know just STFU pls. The question was whay does it mean not what can you make up about it
Freaking baby killer fantasies and crap. Lol. It is clearly a slave song about everything you said
this is one of my favorite songs ever just because its so haunting and resonates within my soul. if i were to guess what it is even about(it was originally a black folk song), i would imagine that maybe it's a lullaby that a grandma would sing to a little baby who's mom just died. it's maybe in the mom's point of view saying "i'm gone, but you still have your father and one day you can lay your bones on the alabaster stone and be my everlovin baby" or perhaps a mother singing to her child that was about to be taken away from her during the slave days. either way it a beautiful song and i could think of any other 3 women that could pull this off like those 3 did.
Hmmm....
I heard this song and thought it was great. But the more I listened the deeper, darker meaning it seemed to have.
I may be wrong, but I think it may mean that the mother died or ran off, the father has run off and is going to stay gone. The red shoes makes me think that the woman has run off to be a harlot, perhaps the baby was an illegimate birth at a time when any extra mouths were impossible to care for. So the mother ran off, the father may have been unknown or uncaring. Everyone else was in the field working, or had gone away in search of work to work distant fields.
The verse
Honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop Gonna bring a bottle to the baby
May mean that the singer was mixing a bottle and adding honey and sugar (and lots of it) to hide the taste of poison. The remaining verses then become obvious.
Go to sleep little baby Got to sleep little baby
You and me and the devil make three Don't need no other lovin' babe
come lay bones on the alabaster stones and be my everlovin' baby
The singer is basically saying, drink this, go to sleep, your mamma ain't coming back, now there's only me and the devil to care for you, as if the singer knows that what she is doing is immoral but necessary. And the last verse, "and be my everlovin' baby" refers to live hereafter. As if the singer is professing everlasting love to this poor child she had put in the ground because there was no one to care for it.
Pretty dark I know... but...
Thoughts?
of course, you are spot on about the meaning of that song. By the way the whole "O brother" soundtrack if filled with songs about death suffering, and the hope for afterlife. So that extraordinary song is in line with the rest of the selection.
Wow you totally nailed it. I wasn't sure what this song was about until I read your post and I just knew that was the answer! I have read a few books about slavery, incl. Uncle Tom's Cabin, so I know this is not an uncommon thing. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it! What a gut-wrenching decision to make... Such a beautiful song, but I'm not sure I will be singing it to my kids :)
This song is an African American slave song, which was remade by Emmylou Harris. If Emmylou Harris truly understood the nature or meaning of song. She would have never rewrittten the lyrics. The oringinal song does not mention red shoes, bones nor the devil. As slaves sang and played, they used hand-clapping and foot-stamping to create rhythmic beats in the tradition of African music. <br /> <br /> <br /> Oringinal Lyrics:<br /> <br />
@Curtis336 <br /> Go to sleep you little baby.... (Little jessus lay down your sweet head.)<br /> <br /> your mummas gone away and you daddys gone to stay... (mums out and dads gone to stay alive.)<br /> <br /> Your a sweet little baby...( you deserve better.)<br /> <br /> Honey in the rock and the suger dont stop... (Good things to come from hard places Says the bible. Struggle and be rewarded the baby may stuggle but will become good in the long run.) <br /> <br /> Dont you weep pretty baby... (keep your head up)<br /> <br /> Shes long gone with her red shoes on gona need another loving baby,.... Harlot Mums long gone with her red shes on, you need some one to love you.<br /> <br /> Go to sleep little baby.... lay your head down little jessus<br /> <br /> You and me and the devil makes thee dont need no other loving baby....<br /> The one singing knows all this and seems to like the baby and honey from the rock comes back to mind for me but i think it depends what is in your head to how you interoperate the song.<br /> <br /> Come lay your bones on the alabaster stones and be my ever loving baby....<br /> (Come and be heald for the bad you have been through i am all you'll ever need, honey from rock)<br /> <br /> <br />
Not a slave song. Woman waits for baby to sleep. Then she leaves husband and baby at home sleeping in the dead of night to rendezvous with another man. That man's woman left him for someone else (red shoe reference). The first woman is making her move on him and thinks to herself that her husband is a nobody thus saying "ain't nobody (home) but the baby. You & me and the devil make three is the woman and her lover engaging in an affair.
@Moddie you are ignorant as fuck. there is literal slave code in the song. This slave lullaby has been stolen and re-written buy white women. go back and look at these lyrics and think really hard about what she just said.<br />
Does anyone know what this song is talking about? I have a few ideas, but I am not exactly sure.
What a beautiful song. Probably the most pristine and haunting Country melody this decade (bar Kings of Leon's Day Old Blues.)
It's obviously about the maternal seduction of the Sirens in "O Brother Where Art Thou"
Or maybe it's about time travel. Since it was written over a hundred years before the film, time travel would have had to play a key role in writing it to fit that scene.<br /> <br /> As zombie wakeup points out below, this is a slave spiritual from the 1800s.
anyone think it's from Death's perspective? this is a compilation of different things i've heard but! especially the "she's long gone with her red shoes on gonna need another loving babe"
red has symbolized untimely death for awhile, andd the "another loving babe" could mean Baby Jesus, in Heaven?
"come lay bones on the alabaster stones and be my everlovin' baby " you don't talk to a baby about being in it's grave, yea?
Before i saw the movie, i had a mental picture of what was happening during this song. (this is just my personal interaptation, don't hate me!)
I always saw an elderly black slave woman in the pre-Civil war south rocking a newborn baby (because its mother had died during child-birth) and she was singing this lullyabye to the baby. It was her way of saying that she would "adopt" the baby and take the place of the mother, and that life was going to be okay because she would watch out for the baby. (imagine my shock when i saw the movie and saw what was really going on!! :)
Anyway you interprate it, its a beautiful song.
Your personal interaptation was correct. This song is an African American slave song, which was remade by Emmylou Harris. If Emmylou Harris truly understood the nature or meaning of song. She would have never rewrittten the lyrics. The oringinal song does not mention red shoes, bones nor the devil. As slaves sang and played, they used hand-clapping and foot-stamping to create rhythmic beats in the tradition of African music. <br /> <br /> <br /> Oringinal Lyrics:<br /> <br />
It's a lullaby that slaves used to sing in early America. How can you guys not know this?
These lyrics are incorrect in a way that makes the song harder to understand. It's "Daddy's gone to stay" not "Daddy's gonna stay." HUGE difference. The song is sung from the pov of someone caring for a baby whose mother (presumably a slave) has gone to work in the fields. The dad is "gone to stay" so they "didn't leave nobody but the baby."