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."
ANOUNCER: Senors and senoritas
Welcome to the most anticipated bullfight in Spanish history!
Today, El Matador Ricardo will face El Toro the bull
he fiercest meanest beast in all of the land!
MATADOR: El Matador comes out of the dust as the sweet smell of roses
And the foul smell of the bulls fills the air.
Today, El Toro faces Don Presarios...
El Toro the bull does not think a lot of the most beautiful woman in all of Spain.
I am the matador, and I must fight the bull!
For my honor, and for my pride!
It is which I adore, and it's so much more than a job
It's what I live for, it's just a way of life!
ROSALINA: Oh Ricardo, don't you love me anymore?
You cannot fight the bull, for he is fierce and mean.
And he is merciless, he will impale you with his horns.
What about our lives together?
CHORUS
NARRATOR: The buzz of nervous excitement fills the stadium,
As the tension mounts, the crowd rises to their feet. (oh!)
The vendors walk the stands, selling at the top of their lungs:
Popcorn! Peanuts! Nachos! The fight begins...
FIGHT PAUSE: He's got it, he's got it, he's got his pride.
He's got it, he's got it, deep down inside
Come on, Fight! Fight!
NARRATOR: It is over. The fight is done.
But it is not the bull that is the dead one,
Rosalina lies dead of a broken heart.
The bull and the matador together part....
As I left that arena that day, I was quite confused.
I saw the matador and I asked him
'Why did you kill your fiancee?'
MATADOR: I must have done what I have done
Because today's fight was such a bore
I needed to spark up something more...
CHORUS
I am the matador! I am the matador!
Welcome to the most anticipated bullfight in Spanish history!
Today, El Matador Ricardo will face El Toro the bull
he fiercest meanest beast in all of the land!
MATADOR: El Matador comes out of the dust as the sweet smell of roses
And the foul smell of the bulls fills the air.
Today, El Toro faces Don Presarios...
El Toro the bull does not think a lot of the most beautiful woman in all of Spain.
I am the matador, and I must fight the bull!
For my honor, and for my pride!
It is which I adore, and it's so much more than a job
It's what I live for, it's just a way of life!
ROSALINA: Oh Ricardo, don't you love me anymore?
You cannot fight the bull, for he is fierce and mean.
And he is merciless, he will impale you with his horns.
What about our lives together?
CHORUS
NARRATOR: The buzz of nervous excitement fills the stadium,
As the tension mounts, the crowd rises to their feet. (oh!)
The vendors walk the stands, selling at the top of their lungs:
Popcorn! Peanuts! Nachos! The fight begins...
FIGHT PAUSE: He's got it, he's got it, he's got his pride.
He's got it, he's got it, deep down inside
Come on, Fight! Fight!
NARRATOR: It is over. The fight is done.
But it is not the bull that is the dead one,
Rosalina lies dead of a broken heart.
The bull and the matador together part....
As I left that arena that day, I was quite confused.
I saw the matador and I asked him
'Why did you kill your fiancee?'
MATADOR: I must have done what I have done
Because today's fight was such a bore
I needed to spark up something more...
CHORUS
I am the matador! I am the matador!
Lyrics submitted by NxDxFanatic
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
Go to greenerpastures.us they have everything, including this song..its wicked good and so funny...