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."
It's a rainy afternoon
In ninteen-ninety
The big city
Geez, it's been twenty years
Candy, you were so fine
Beautiful, beautiful girl from the north
You burned my heart with a flickering torch
I had a dream that no one else could see
You gave me love for free
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
Life is crazy
Candy, baby
Yeah, well it hurt me real bad when you left
Hey, I'm glad you got out, but, but I miss you
I've had a hole in my heart for so long
I've learned to fake it and just smile along
Down on the street
Those men are all the same
I need a love
Not games
Not games
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
Life is crazy
I know, baby
Candy, baby
You-you-you, candy, candy, candy, I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy, life is crazy
Candy, baby
Candy baby
Candy, candy
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
In ninteen-ninety
The big city
Geez, it's been twenty years
Candy, you were so fine
Beautiful, beautiful girl from the north
You burned my heart with a flickering torch
I had a dream that no one else could see
You gave me love for free
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
Life is crazy
Candy, baby
Yeah, well it hurt me real bad when you left
Hey, I'm glad you got out, but, but I miss you
I've had a hole in my heart for so long
I've learned to fake it and just smile along
Down on the street
Those men are all the same
I need a love
Not games
Not games
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
Life is crazy
I know, baby
Candy, baby
You-you-you, candy, candy, candy, I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy, life is crazy
Candy, baby
Candy baby
Candy, candy
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
Lyrics submitted by Girl-sets-fire
Candy Lyrics as written by Iggy Pop
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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:
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“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.
Two people from the seedier side of life have found each other after 20 years. For them, their earlier relationship was passionate and intense. Notice that much of the words are in the past tense.
IMHO, Candy was/is a prostitute. (I've learned to take it and Just smile along Down on the street Those men are all the same I need a love Not games...) However, she had feelings for Iggy from the start, and never considered him a trick or charged him. (You gave me love for free.)
Why has Iggy been gone for 20 years? I think he's been in prison for those years and just got out. (Yeah, well it hurt me real bad when you left, I'm glad you got out...)
I don't know if at this point they are ships passing in the night, or if they will renew their relationship, but they seem to be confessing their continuing love for each other.
I would hope that at this point in their lives (they'd probably be 40-50), they could have the strenght and wisdom to really try to make something good happen in their lives. Candy says "I need (present tense) a love, not games...", and Iggy says "I can't (present tense) let you go"
I think they make it.
Seems stupid, but your comment makes me want to believe it that they made it indeed.
this song is about Candy Darling. She was a tranny from upstate new york that was around until the 70's when she died at the age of 29. She had developed leukemia from the atrocious amounts of untested hormones she was taking to develop female attributes. I believe Kate is playing Candy's lyrics, and when she refers to "out" i think she means, Dead.
The lyrics make total sense, and Candy was truly, Darling.
that is not the meaning
@charsometimes Best summation to my mind of the story behind the song.<br /> Having been both a heroin user and prostitute, I am perplexed by the common misconception that this song refers to either.<br /> Well done, you have nailed it . I wish that everyone knew the true story of Candy Darling.
the song isint about weed or heroin its about a girl named candace bacon and she is at the moment 45 turning 46 in july her boy friend knew iggy pop and wrote a song about there relashinship and called it candy. and your asking me how the hell do i know that its because im her son!!!!!!!!!!!
suuuuuuure you are
I thought Iggy mentioned it was his first real teen Love named Betsy and thought it important to give her a voice/say, as he was told by her. Hes always been himself and almost too candid of a guy...specially since he’s like 40+by then. Meaning if the song actually WAS about drugs- he would’ve straight up said it. Maybe the hooker came after that puppy love and realized that the love he had was free back then-no strings attached- just true unrelinquished love for the reason alone- not worrying anything because it's pure. Or maybe he had to worry about who he could trust to Love by then? He was crazy popular and lived that image. Living in a little town w/rockstar dreams, he must’ve taken off and she didn’t want, or was Scared maybe to go w/him. He found himself on the fast track of rockstar life w/n the next couple years when meeting up with Bowie and Lou Reed in England, my guess is she contacted him after 20 yrs and a ship load of memories came flooding back for him since he had lived a crazy life over those years; that rockstar life he had dreamed of days gone by- back in that little town with only her. And maybe it wasn’t as glamorous as he thought after he reminisced... hence Iggys first mainstream hit since it came from down deep in his heart- that's how hits are made-they’re a force to be reckoned with because it’s raw emotions being developed. He had been used to being the massive underground punk legend he already had been for 20yrs-to a massive hit the next day. That must’ve been quite a deal for him. Still my fav. IP jam. A beautiful 90s gem. Perfect duet- couldn’t have been better. Just as his and Bowie’s song they wrote together “Tonight” was the best duet done by Bowie and Tina Turner. I dig on duets. All of the great legends are gone. It must mean the end of the world is surely approaching
@missy11768 you're correct. Here's Iggy and Kate talking about it on the Arsenio Hall show: youtube.com/watch
kate pierson(sp?) has the most beautiful voice on this song. i melt. their chemistry is amazing and the sound is awesome, and the song is about a sweet subject and... aww man
hell yea this song kicks ass both have cool vocals
Gotta agree with everyone here - great vocals, awesome chemistry.... I love it. But, I have a somewhat different take on it's meaning than Duhaast.
IMHO, of course, I don't think they've been reunited. Sadly, Iggy is reminiscing one rainy day, about Candy, a street-walker he encountered 20 years ago. The lyrics suggest he fell in love with her following a business transaction. His dream that no one else could see was that his love was reciprocated and she loved him for real, and not just for $$$. He's likely never seen Candy again, but he's never forgotton her.
The female vocals aren't meant to be Candy. Instead, I believe this is one of Candy's former co-workers who either had a relationship, or wanted one, with Candy. She was hurt when she found Candy had left the streets but was happy that Candy had apparently gotten out of "the life". She describes faking her way through the days with male clients, all the while pining for Candy and cracing the real love she had, or believes she could have with her.
Kinda sad. But again, it's just my humble opinion.
We have no idea where Candy is. However, she touched the lives of at least two people of opposite sexes, who have kept her in their hearts ever since.
Good posts by Duhaast and Saxmaan. I really love this song. Iggy Pop and Kate have those tough voices which sound great together.
I like the way Iggy goes " Life is crazy, candy babyyy"
OK, here's one from left field....... Candy is another name for heroin (refer to the Heath Ledger movie of the same name). Iggy did have a heroin problem that he kicked. Iggy's mixed emotions in the song could be as much about heroin as about a woman/trannie.
the hell it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this song definitely seems like a nostalgic one, and not a reuniting one, considering that when iggy refers to 'candy', it's in the past tense, except for "i can't let you go", which could mean that he is still thinking about her.
i'm seeing iggy return to a place after twenty years, only to find that 'candy' is gone/dead/whatever. "life is crazy" suggests that they never had the time to meet again or catch up. "i'm glad you got out" suggests that they were in a small town together, and 'candy' was glad that iggy was able to get out and do whatever, but at the same time she is sad that he left her etc.
whatever. i don't think it's about heroin, unless 1990 and 20 years away from a big city are obscure references to something?
yea I'm pretty sure its not about heroin because in the beginning he says "beautiful beautiful girl from the north".