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."
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh... hey!
Old Man Davie's worked and slaved
his days away
in an old department store
for twenty years or more
and naturally he grew bored
he desired something more
and then he struck a festive chord
inside an empty store room
he designed a magic kingdom
filled with lights and toys for all the children
and soon
people came in droves to
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
it's the highlight of the festive season
He made magic seams with figurines
and some snow banks made with gauze
with a little applause
and lots of rum and eggnog
he would dress like Mrs. Claus
the people laughed and teased him
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
filled with lights and toys for all the children
it's true
people loved to come to
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
it's the highlight of the festive season
Then one year as Winter neared
and Davie feared
the executives came 'round
they said, "sales are down
a stockroom is not a playground"
and they shut his kingdom down
and then he begged and pleaded
"people say they love my Kingdom
it's the highlight of their Christmas season"
he knew
they had made their minds up
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
never made it through it's final season
it was shut down due to business reasons
shut down due to business reasons
the highlight of the Christmas season
shut down due to business reasons
the highlight of the Christmas season
shut down due to business reasons
shut down due to business reasons
the highlight of the Christmas season.
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh... hey!
Old Man Davie's worked and slaved
his days away
in an old department store
for twenty years or more
and naturally he grew bored
he desired something more
and then he struck a festive chord
inside an empty store room
he designed a magic kingdom
filled with lights and toys for all the children
and soon
people came in droves to
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
it's the highlight of the festive season
He made magic seams with figurines
and some snow banks made with gauze
with a little applause
and lots of rum and eggnog
he would dress like Mrs. Claus
the people laughed and teased him
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
filled with lights and toys for all the children
it's true
people loved to come to
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
it's the highlight of the festive season
Then one year as Winter neared
and Davie feared
the executives came 'round
they said, "sales are down
a stockroom is not a playground"
and they shut his kingdom down
and then he begged and pleaded
"people say they love my Kingdom
it's the highlight of their Christmas season"
he knew
they had made their minds up
Old Man Davie's Christmas Kingdom
never made it through it's final season
it was shut down due to business reasons
shut down due to business reasons
the highlight of the Christmas season
shut down due to business reasons
the highlight of the Christmas season
shut down due to business reasons
shut down due to business reasons
the highlight of the Christmas season.
Lyrics submitted by Mopnugget
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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,
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.