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."
All was right
We were one
You were my everything
So in love
Now I've learned
That You weren't there
How could I be so blind for you
Well I seen it in your face
That you were on a date
Girl I should've known, you started comin in so late
Someone else had said
That I had been misled
Till the day our kid found you in someone else's bed
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
All I know
Is you were wrong
But still I could forgive
I stayed strong
Till one day
He came by
And said our family
Was all a lie
Well I couldn't believe my ears
What he was tellin me
So I went to call the doctors
Cause I just had to see
Well He really rocked my world
You know good and well he did
Cause you knew all the time
That you had someone's kid
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Oh! Oh! Oh! Girl
Girl I've had it
You could have had the decency
To tell the child if not just me
Oh! Oh! Oh! Girl
Girl Forget it
Girl I'm walking out that door
You can't come this way no more
No. No. No. No.
No. No. No. No
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
We were one
You were my everything
So in love
Now I've learned
That You weren't there
How could I be so blind for you
Well I seen it in your face
That you were on a date
Girl I should've known, you started comin in so late
Someone else had said
That I had been misled
Till the day our kid found you in someone else's bed
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
All I know
Is you were wrong
But still I could forgive
I stayed strong
Till one day
He came by
And said our family
Was all a lie
Well I couldn't believe my ears
What he was tellin me
So I went to call the doctors
Cause I just had to see
Well He really rocked my world
You know good and well he did
Cause you knew all the time
That you had someone's kid
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Oh! Oh! Oh! Girl
Girl I've had it
You could have had the decency
To tell the child if not just me
Oh! Oh! Oh! Girl
Girl Forget it
Girl I'm walking out that door
You can't come this way no more
No. No. No. No.
No. No. No. No
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
Sayonara
I won't be bothered
And I never want to see yo face no more
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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.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.