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."
Oh what's up everybody this is rick james
Talib kweli, dj hi tek, reflection eternal
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
Piakhan floating on the mighty clouds of joy
Building a future, yo, for my baby boy (uh huh)
I moved form the hood yet the shit still in me
And your opinion is nothing to me
I have plenty like bein' out of prison
With a roof over my dome
And possessing the gift such as sparking the microphone
Accumulate the provolone makin' it happen with talib
A nattian cat we got em' snappin' roberta flackin' the track and
Killin' em softly with out flossin'
But yet the shine is glossy and
The run the lyrical train through your brain shit
Strategy pain, I'm on some clubber lane shit
With the iron, ain't no use in you trying "I ain't lyin'"
Through your ears mesmerize em'
It's about time we started risin'
Once again replace bullets with words, try to make it fun again
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
If the put my life on the screen then its got to be the imax
I live large stroke your mind, till you reach climax
Terrorist hijack on hi tek fly tracks front don't try that
My niggas got my back, you gotta relax, ease back
What's that all about with the feedback?
All up in my mouth we don't need that
Enjoy life open up a tree sack
Take a trip past thought no passport just leave that
The asphalt is the place to be at
Where the people fire burn so bright you can see that believe that
It ain't light music (no)
We make the right music (true)
Keep it tight music (yes)
Affirmin' life music (come on)
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
It's like girls got the bass all up in they hips
My favorite part on the face is the shape of the lips
Yeah I wanna touch you there (right there)
Your mind is my concubine, when I deliver shivers up your spine
Wordsy and that's your soul like the bread and wine
My brain is embedded with rhyme, that's ahead of they time
I rock the better design
You cats ain't got the touch
You all suck, like getting head from a dime
I run up in em and, touch them with the rhythm and
Clutch em' if they tremblin'
It's a rush like adrenaline, at a point break the joint shake
When you play this (yeah), your crew is haters when they come
Through with the newest latest (like that)
Reflection eternal
Shine light bright like the day till the sky turn purple
And the moon arrive, reflection through the night
That touch you just right
With the rhythm, the rhythm, god bless the rhythm
It's the rhythm, rhythm; yes ya'll the rhythm
Shorty on the dance floor giving me rhythm
Hi tek make ya'll nod ya'll neck to the rhythm
And
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
Talib kweli, dj hi tek, reflection eternal
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
Piakhan floating on the mighty clouds of joy
Building a future, yo, for my baby boy (uh huh)
I moved form the hood yet the shit still in me
And your opinion is nothing to me
I have plenty like bein' out of prison
With a roof over my dome
And possessing the gift such as sparking the microphone
Accumulate the provolone makin' it happen with talib
A nattian cat we got em' snappin' roberta flackin' the track and
Killin' em softly with out flossin'
But yet the shine is glossy and
The run the lyrical train through your brain shit
Strategy pain, I'm on some clubber lane shit
With the iron, ain't no use in you trying "I ain't lyin'"
Through your ears mesmerize em'
It's about time we started risin'
Once again replace bullets with words, try to make it fun again
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
If the put my life on the screen then its got to be the imax
I live large stroke your mind, till you reach climax
Terrorist hijack on hi tek fly tracks front don't try that
My niggas got my back, you gotta relax, ease back
What's that all about with the feedback?
All up in my mouth we don't need that
Enjoy life open up a tree sack
Take a trip past thought no passport just leave that
The asphalt is the place to be at
Where the people fire burn so bright you can see that believe that
It ain't light music (no)
We make the right music (true)
Keep it tight music (yes)
Affirmin' life music (come on)
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
It's like girls got the bass all up in they hips
My favorite part on the face is the shape of the lips
Yeah I wanna touch you there (right there)
Your mind is my concubine, when I deliver shivers up your spine
Wordsy and that's your soul like the bread and wine
My brain is embedded with rhyme, that's ahead of they time
I rock the better design
You cats ain't got the touch
You all suck, like getting head from a dime
I run up in em and, touch them with the rhythm and
Clutch em' if they tremblin'
It's a rush like adrenaline, at a point break the joint shake
When you play this (yeah), your crew is haters when they come
Through with the newest latest (like that)
Reflection eternal
Shine light bright like the day till the sky turn purple
And the moon arrive, reflection through the night
That touch you just right
With the rhythm, the rhythm, god bless the rhythm
It's the rhythm, rhythm; yes ya'll the rhythm
Shorty on the dance floor giving me rhythm
Hi tek make ya'll nod ya'll neck to the rhythm
And
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
We make the music that change your life
'Bout to touch you just right
All night we gonna to shine the light
'Bout to touch you just right
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More Featured Meanings
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/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.