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."
[Chorus:]
Yo, either you a part of the problem
Or part of the solution
What's your contribution to life
So many people complain, always talk about change yo
But what's your contribution to life
Either you with or ain't with it, if it ain't broke don't fix it
Yo what's your contribution to life
Either you give or you take, make moves and you wait yo
But what's your contribution to life
Your about to witness three of the most common
Tales of man, woman and human, the difference between the three
Is that there is not difference, just other outcomes
Listen and witness the common tales
Aye yo my momma and a nigga for life
Love carousel, cuss yell and fight
Seven nights a week, no respect when they speak
Disrespect between the sheets, the ends don't meet
No rice beans or meat
My momma was the bread winner plus
She had to cook his dinner
My daddy was a full time sinner
Poppa was a stoner stay gone till November
Off of that, gawk?, that made emack
Like the devil done took his soul and ain't given it back
Remember that, when you play for the bless
Speedy victory for the poor and the press
I can't stand the stress, its test and time press
Up against my momma and daddy chest, I try and rest
With no stretch of the mind, I can't find no piece
Of mind within this family of mine, yo
[Marc 7even]
She got chips and you don't, that's bottom line
That's just the way love goes, lets rewind
You really ain't paid, you clocking minimum wage
Now basically you a slave, your wife studies for days
No money for much, just movies and such
The way your two hands clutch, you know its love not lust
Now she's sick of the bus, and using you as a crutch
And on top of this stuff, she graduates in a month
Damn, her new job got her clocking the dough
Now she's buying new clothes, and taken you to the show
You feeling like you the ho, not knowing which way to go
And ultimately you know, you ain't feeling her so
You need to get up, get out and get something
Your job ain't nothing, all these years you've just been frontin
That's the way she played ya, the talked in rager went back
To your days of
[Chali 2na]
She always said I'm out husslin for food, kitchen indeed
While this nigga spend his ends on booze, bitches and weed
I thought that we'd agree, with two kids to feed
That you would slow your own, but instead of switching your seed
You slapped me, you can't attack me thinking I'm be happy
In fact its a packing and we rapidly
After we witness, no love between parents
The father type that was once on the sense vanished
Supreme bamish the couples that match these
Producing generations of kids with latched keys
Her daughter learned from momma
How to reject men, her sons attracts women
That don't respect men, and then
One parental provided can be the plan
But no woman can truly teach a boy to be a man
That's why I'm always telling these many pals of mine
The most that you can spend on any child is time
Look we don't have all the answers, we're victims also
To the same situations, but man, plans and the lord plans
And the lord is the best of planners,
So what's your contribution to life
[Chorus]
What's your contribution to life
Yo, either you a part of the problem
Or part of the solution
What's your contribution to life
So many people complain, always talk about change yo
But what's your contribution to life
Either you with or ain't with it, if it ain't broke don't fix it
Yo what's your contribution to life
Either you give or you take, make moves and you wait yo
But what's your contribution to life
Your about to witness three of the most common
Tales of man, woman and human, the difference between the three
Is that there is not difference, just other outcomes
Listen and witness the common tales
Aye yo my momma and a nigga for life
Love carousel, cuss yell and fight
Seven nights a week, no respect when they speak
Disrespect between the sheets, the ends don't meet
No rice beans or meat
My momma was the bread winner plus
She had to cook his dinner
My daddy was a full time sinner
Poppa was a stoner stay gone till November
Off of that, gawk?, that made emack
Like the devil done took his soul and ain't given it back
Remember that, when you play for the bless
Speedy victory for the poor and the press
I can't stand the stress, its test and time press
Up against my momma and daddy chest, I try and rest
With no stretch of the mind, I can't find no piece
Of mind within this family of mine, yo
[Marc 7even]
She got chips and you don't, that's bottom line
That's just the way love goes, lets rewind
You really ain't paid, you clocking minimum wage
Now basically you a slave, your wife studies for days
No money for much, just movies and such
The way your two hands clutch, you know its love not lust
Now she's sick of the bus, and using you as a crutch
And on top of this stuff, she graduates in a month
Damn, her new job got her clocking the dough
Now she's buying new clothes, and taken you to the show
You feeling like you the ho, not knowing which way to go
And ultimately you know, you ain't feeling her so
You need to get up, get out and get something
Your job ain't nothing, all these years you've just been frontin
That's the way she played ya, the talked in rager went back
To your days of
[Chali 2na]
She always said I'm out husslin for food, kitchen indeed
While this nigga spend his ends on booze, bitches and weed
I thought that we'd agree, with two kids to feed
That you would slow your own, but instead of switching your seed
You slapped me, you can't attack me thinking I'm be happy
In fact its a packing and we rapidly
After we witness, no love between parents
The father type that was once on the sense vanished
Supreme bamish the couples that match these
Producing generations of kids with latched keys
Her daughter learned from momma
How to reject men, her sons attracts women
That don't respect men, and then
One parental provided can be the plan
But no woman can truly teach a boy to be a man
That's why I'm always telling these many pals of mine
The most that you can spend on any child is time
Look we don't have all the answers, we're victims also
To the same situations, but man, plans and the lord plans
And the lord is the best of planners,
So what's your contribution to life
[Chorus]
What's your contribution to life
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