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."
You were laying on the carpet
Like you're satin in a coffin.
You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?"
Yeah right now, but not that often.
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
God I sure hope you are dead.
Well you disappeared so often
Like you dissolved into coffee.
Are you here right now
Or are there probably fossils under your meat?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
God I sure hope you are dead.
Now the blow's been softened,
Since the air we breathe's our coffin.
Well now the blow's been softened,
Since the ocean is our coffin.
Often times you know our laughter
Is your coffin ever after.
And you know the blow's been softened,
Since the world is our coffin.
Well now the blow's been softened
Since we are our own damn coffins.
Well everybody's talkin' about their short lists.
Everybody's talkin' about death.
You were laying on the carpet
Like you're satin in a coffin.
You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?"
Yeah right now, but not that often.
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
God, I sure hope you are dead.
Like you're satin in a coffin.
You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?"
Yeah right now, but not that often.
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
God I sure hope you are dead.
Well you disappeared so often
Like you dissolved into coffee.
Are you here right now
Or are there probably fossils under your meat?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
God I sure hope you are dead.
Now the blow's been softened,
Since the air we breathe's our coffin.
Well now the blow's been softened,
Since the ocean is our coffin.
Often times you know our laughter
Is your coffin ever after.
And you know the blow's been softened,
Since the world is our coffin.
Well now the blow's been softened
Since we are our own damn coffins.
Well everybody's talkin' about their short lists.
Everybody's talkin' about death.
You were laying on the carpet
Like you're satin in a coffin.
You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?"
Yeah right now, but not that often.
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
Are you dead or are you sleepin'?
God, I sure hope you are dead.
Lyrics submitted by nuclearjesus
Satin in a Coffin Lyrics as written by Eric Judy Dann Gallucci
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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There are some secondary metaphors here. "Like satin in a coffin" - You have the "like" aspect of what the "You" on the floor is. "Satin in a coffin," however, on it's own, is a wordplay. Satin: luxury, refinement, wealth. what good is it really if it's lining a coffin? In other words... "You're lying there looking (sounding) pretty, too bad you're dead" or "What you're saying sounds so pretty, so good - too bad it's bullshit (hollow)." Same goes for the dissolving into coffee phrase. Usually sugar disolves into coffee, it's sweet, but dissapears, dies, dissolves. MM seems to have an anti-material bent, what good is anything? Air, oceans? But I think that they're double-edged, why complain, just enjoy it, enjoy the satin, the sugar - even if it is all just ending in death. What's the point of being depressed over the inevitable? MM might have struggled over that for a while... I think this album deals w/ that struggle in part.
you are obviously very clever, thats an awesome way to intemperate it.
@Ouroboros Dissolved into coffee is the loss of who you are to the coffee fueled work week.
The stuff that is our coffin is that no matter what we line our coffin with ie luxurious things which pollute the Earth, it doesn't matter because we are going to die in it anyway, pair this with the hope that you are dead and not just sleeping says that I hope there is nothing after this life because this place, the lining of your coffin, has been turned to shit, even though in your zombie or sleepwalking stupor you think it is luxurious, and to face the consequences would be torturous.
Do you believe what you're saying?<br /> Yeah right now but not that often.<br /> means: I'm calling it how I see it.
The baby crying is a reminder that our children have to live in the mess we are creating.<br />
My friend and I performed this song as a lipsinc at a school drama event. I played the subject, who was ODing on heroin, while my friend played the narrator, who was trying to live his life and was sick of my irresponsible and self-destructive ways.
My favourite part was right after the "is our coffin" part, where I finished with the monologue and then fell to the ground, going down on my knees, my seat, and then my shoulders in quick succession, to the beat of the song. I then writhed around on the stage for the last part of the song while my friend stomped off in a trenchcoat.
Every other performance was comedic, so the audience didn't react well to seeing a drug tragedy. Ours was the only performance that didn't get an applause, but rather, a stunned silence lasting several seconds until the next performance started.
This is beautiful. You deserve a standing ovation.
someone told me that this song is about life and stuff
i get the feeling this song is about how people are so focused on dying that they neglect to really live... the 'are you dead or are you sleeping' line refers to people living as though they are asleep, and isaac thinking that it would be better to be dead than to live like that.
orrrr else it's not really about anything. EITHER WAY IT'S A GREAT SONG.
pretty sure you nailed it
someone told me that this song is about life and stuff
This is impossibly catchy. The damn banjo gets me every time.
I think this song is about how we surrounded by things that can cause our death.
Ex: Now the blow's been softened, since the air we breathe's our coffin Well now the blow's been softened, since the ocean is our coffin Often times you know our laughter is our coffin ever after And you know the blow's been softened, since the world is our coffin And now the blow's been softened, since we are our own damn coffins
You were laying on the carpet Like you're satin in a coffin
for some reason, this lyrics makes me think of someone who's doin a crazy crazy drug and all they can do is lie there. and drugs obviously kill ppl when they overdoes. prob not the right meaning,but just an idea...
yes, I think you're right. "Are you dead or are you sleeping?"<br /> When people come off drugs, especially if they've binged, you could swear they were dead. It's absolutely about drugs, I can't believe everyone has missed that.
When he says "God I sure Hope You Are Dead" he is not talking about GOD, if he did it would probably be "God, I sure hope you are dead" or "I sure hope you are dead, God"
He is talking about a person. I say it all the time to people I can't stand. "God I Sure Hope You Are Dead or you Die"
The beginning of the song it sounds like he is talking about an abusive father, maybe he found his father or someone else abusive or that he hated in his life lying on the floor and he though/said
You were laying on the carpet Like you're satin in a coffin You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?" Yeah right now, but not that often Are you dead or are you sleepin'? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? God I sure hope you are dead
Well you disappeared so often Like you dissolved into coffee Are you here right now or are there Probably fossils under your meat? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? God I sure hope you are dead
those first 2 really sound like he was talking about what I thought
As a series with the rest of the album, the overall meaning is "The Good Times" have been killing Isaac. This song, I believe, takes place after partying and Isaac is drunk next to another person, who has passed out on the carpet. So he wonders "are they dead or are they sleeping?" the person responds "do you believe what your saying?". Overall, this song is a realization for Isaac that his party life is killing him. After this song, an Interlude is played with the sound of a baby, signifying that he is reborn.
@NicolausLawliet The baby crying is a reminder that our children have to live in the mess we are creating.<br /> <br /> Dissolved into coffee is the loss of who you are to the coffee fueled work week.<br /> <br /> <br /> The stuff that is our coffin is that no matter what we line our coffin with ie luxurious things which pollute the Earth, it doesn't matter because we are going to die in it anyway, pair this with the hope that you are dead and not just sleeping says that I hope there is nothing after this life because this place, the lining of your coffin, has been turned to shit, even though in your zombie or sleepwalking stupor you think it is luxurious, and to face the consequences would be torturous.<br /> <br /> <br /> The stuff that is our coffin is that no matter what we line our coffin with ie luxurious things which pollute the Earth, it doesn't matter because we are going to die in it anyway, pair this with the hope that you are dead and not just sleeping says that I hope there is nothing after this life because this place, the lining of your coffin, has been turned to shit, even though in your zombie or sleepwalking stupor you think it is luxurious, and to face the consequences would be torturous.<br /> <br /> <br /> The stuff that is our coffin is that no matter what we line our coffin with ie luxurious things which pollute the Earth, it doesn't matter because we are going to die in it anyway, pair this with the hope that you are dead and not just sleeping says that I hope there is nothing after this life because this place, the lining of your coffin, has been turned to shit, even though in your zombie or sleepwalking stupor you think it is luxurious, and to face the consequences would be torturous.<br /> <br /> <br /> Do you believe what you're saying?<br /> Yeah right now but not that often.<br /> means: I'm calling it how I see it.