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."
When wooden horses were in use
I would have built one
And left it for you
But I wanted to know
I just wanted to know
How much are you?
How much are you?
How much are you?
How much are you?
I just wanted to know
I just wanted to know
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Oh let us see it
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Oh let us see it
Oh bring it in
And let us see it
A token heir means nowt in the hills
I know that I'm ready
Yeah I'm ready to to kill
I just wanted to know
I just wanted to know
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Let us see it
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Let us see it
Oh bring it in
Oh bring it in
Bring it in
Bring it in
I would have built one
And left it for you
But I wanted to know
I just wanted to know
How much are you?
How much are you?
How much are you?
How much are you?
I just wanted to know
I just wanted to know
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Oh let us see it
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Oh let us see it
Oh bring it in
And let us see it
A token heir means nowt in the hills
I know that I'm ready
Yeah I'm ready to to kill
I just wanted to know
I just wanted to know
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Let us see it
Oh bring it in and let us see it
Let us see it
Oh bring it in
Oh bring it in
Bring it in
Bring it in
Lyrics submitted by Brutin
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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,
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
The main thing I get from this song is that there is a person in life who is clearly pained by something, you see it in them always but they never tell anybody and act like there is nothing wrong.
Rather than going up to them and forcing them to tell you, this song represents the lighter approach, letting them know you want to know but want them to tell you willingly. Telling them that its ok that they feel the way they do, and that there is no shame in telling somebody.
This is what I get from most of the song, the constant "I just wanted to know" and "Oh bring it in and let us see it" just lead to that conclusion in my mind.
The second verse focuses on where you tell the person you want to help them deal with this "I know that I'm ready, yeah I'm ready to kill" you want to take the problem head on and kill it, because you care too much about this person to see them like this any more...
Well this is what I get from the song, you may see it different, but whatever, music should never be thought of as having one solid meaning behind it, each person will see it differently and see something that no one else see's. And thats how I see this song.
Such a beautiful song as well, couldn't have chosen a better place to put it on the album either as to me the whole album builds into it, each song complimenting the next and building on the last. This is just the perfect end to the album.
Cant believe no one else has said a word about it though o.O