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."
i see them everywhere, wondering what's next
and i think it's kind of fun seein' them walk around downtown
and they got the new band records
and they want everyone to check 'em
want everyone to see that they did it first
want everyone to know
want everyone to care
but it's fun when we don't care, so i tell them like this
oh no, oh no, here we go again
it's the life of the perfect scenester
and now they listen to emotional music
when they used to like PUNKROCK
or maybe now they like chump rock
and swore they never liked punk
and they always talk about shows
but i never see 'em
and when i do they're just bummin'
still haven't figured out that
and we just can't wait for what they got next
and they do it for the girls
yes they do it for the girls
but it's all the wrong girls in control of them
don't worry about anyone else
the best people are themselves
and we don't think you know yourself
and i think it's kind of fun seein' them walk around downtown
and they got the new band records
and they want everyone to check 'em
want everyone to see that they did it first
want everyone to know
want everyone to care
but it's fun when we don't care, so i tell them like this
oh no, oh no, here we go again
it's the life of the perfect scenester
and now they listen to emotional music
when they used to like PUNKROCK
or maybe now they like chump rock
and swore they never liked punk
and they always talk about shows
but i never see 'em
and when i do they're just bummin'
still haven't figured out that
and we just can't wait for what they got next
and they do it for the girls
yes they do it for the girls
but it's all the wrong girls in control of them
don't worry about anyone else
the best people are themselves
and we don't think you know yourself
Lyrics submitted by superman9k
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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When We Were Young
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
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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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
i fucking love this song.
Hopefully we have a little more time before the scenesters invade ska music...
Awesome song though, the lyrics are just right.
This song is about all those fucking loser kids who are into music for the trendiness. Like they are into whatever is POPULAR at the moment. Thats fucking dumb, but I see them at every show. Its wicked funny too because I was at a Big D show and I saw so many trendy fucks singing to this song. I'm like wtf?! He's making fun of you! Sad thing is that most of them don't even know they are scensters.
This reminds me of when drive thru records used to be predominantly ska bands, and when they went pop punk, ALL the kids went from being ska kids to emo bitches. Good times.
ahh I love this damn song, because it's so true. When I saw big d a few months ago, before they played this song, the lead singer (sorry, I don't know his name) was like "We haven't played this song at a show in awhile cause kids tend to get pissed off but since you guys are fucking awesome we'll play it for you, this one's called 'Scenester'". Dude, it was fuckin awesome.
this, by far, is my favorite big d song. I'm guessing he got his inspiration from Newbury Street, because if you take one walk down there, you will see everything he describes on here, which is both sickening and painfully funny.
fuck scenesters! i went to a less than jake concert and there was a group of scenesters just standing there.
bahaha i love this song. it's funny and honest and true.