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."
We got to do our alma matter, we must do our alma matter
When I was a little bitty boy
My grandmother bought me a cute little toy
Silver bells hanging on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
Hmm, and then mama took me to grammar school
But I stopped off in the vestibule
Every time that bell would ring
Catch me playing with my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, that is beautiful
You know what I heard, I heard
I heard two girls over here singing in harmony, that's all right, honey
This is a free country, live like you wanna live, baby!
Yeah, ain't nobody gonna knock it, doll, mm-mm
Yeah, freedom
Yes sir, there's one guy right over here singin' "mine" too, that's all right, brother!
Yes sir, you got a right, baby, ain't nobody gonna bother you, tell you
Once I was climbing the garden wall
I slipped and had a terrible fall
I fell so hard I heard bells ring
But held on to my ding-a-ling-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Hmm, you know that's future parliament out there singin'?
Oh yeah! (yeah!)
Hmm, once I was swimming 'cross turtle creek
Man, them snappers all around my feet
Sure was hard swimming 'cross that thing
With both hands holding my ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
That's so beautiful
I think it's a beautiful little song, really I do
And guess what, everybody's still not singing
There's a few right down front here that's not singing
We're gonna dedicate this verse to those who will not sing, yes sir
Hmm, this here song it ain't so sad
The cutest little song you ever had
Those of you who will not sing
You must be playing with your own ding-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, your own, ding-a-ling, your own ding-a-ling, we saw you playing with your ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, everybody sing, I want to play with my, everybody
My ding-a-ling, oh, my, ding-a-ling
Slow down, I want to play, everybody, with my ding-a-ling!
When I was a little bitty boy
My grandmother bought me a cute little toy
Silver bells hanging on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
Hmm, and then mama took me to grammar school
But I stopped off in the vestibule
Every time that bell would ring
Catch me playing with my ding-a-ling-a-ling, oh
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, that is beautiful
You know what I heard, I heard
I heard two girls over here singing in harmony, that's all right, honey
This is a free country, live like you wanna live, baby!
Yeah, ain't nobody gonna knock it, doll, mm-mm
Yeah, freedom
Yes sir, there's one guy right over here singin' "mine" too, that's all right, brother!
Yes sir, you got a right, baby, ain't nobody gonna bother you, tell you
Once I was climbing the garden wall
I slipped and had a terrible fall
I fell so hard I heard bells ring
But held on to my ding-a-ling-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Hmm, you know that's future parliament out there singin'?
Oh yeah! (yeah!)
Hmm, once I was swimming 'cross turtle creek
Man, them snappers all around my feet
Sure was hard swimming 'cross that thing
With both hands holding my ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
That's so beautiful
I think it's a beautiful little song, really I do
And guess what, everybody's still not singing
There's a few right down front here that's not singing
We're gonna dedicate this verse to those who will not sing, yes sir
Hmm, this here song it ain't so sad
The cutest little song you ever had
Those of you who will not sing
You must be playing with your own ding-a-ling
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
Oh, your own, ding-a-ling, your own ding-a-ling, we saw you playing with your ding-a-ling
Oh, my ding-a-ling, everybody sing, I want to play with my, everybody
My ding-a-ling, oh, my, ding-a-ling
Slow down, I want to play, everybody, with my ding-a-ling!
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Much as I love Chuck Berry and this song, I have to agree with DJacques on this. It's not particularly clever or witty. A fun song, but there's no lyrical genius begind it.