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."
Yeah ma, your dude is back, made back roof is back
Tell the whole world the truth is back
You ain't got to argue about who could rap
Cause the proof is back just go through my rap
New York New York yeah where my troopers at
Where my hustlers where my boosters at
I don't care what you do for stacks
I know the world glued you back to the wall
You gotta brawl to that
I been through that, been shot at shoot back
Gotta keep it peace like a Buddhist
I ain't a New Jack nobody goin' Wesley Snipe me
It's less than likely, move back
Let I breathe Jedi Knight
The more space I get the better I write
(Oh) Never I write, but, if, ever I write
I need the space to say whatever I like, now just
(Change clothes and go) You know I stay, fresh to death
I brought you from the projects
And I'm a take you to the top of the globe so let's go (change numbers and go)
Uh huh yeah, uh (now girl I promise you, no substitute)
It's just me
And I goin' tell you again let's get ghost in the phantom
You could bring your friend we could make this a tandem
You could come by yourself and you could stand him
Best believe I sweat out weaves, give Afro puffs like R.A.g.e.
You get if you could move it
Back it on up like a you Haul truck
Then run and tell them thugs you heard HOV knew
He and the boy for real make beautiful music
He is to the east coast what Snoop is, to the west coast what Face is to Houston
Young HOV in the house it's so necessary
No bra with the blouse it's so necessary
No panties and jeans that's so necessary
Now why you fronting on me is that necessary
Do I to you look like a lame
Who don't understand a bra with a mean shoe game
Whose up on Dot Dot Dot and Vera Wang
Ma are you insane, let's just
(What you want me to do?)
(Change clothes and go) You know I stay, fresh to death
I brought you from the projects
And I'm a take you to the top of the globe so let's go (change numbers and go)
Uh huh yeah, uh (now girl I promise you, no substitute)
It's just me
Uh, uh (sexy sexy) Woo!
Uh huh (sexy sexy) It's so necessary right)
Uh huh, woo! (Sexy sexy) that's right it's a groove
Uh huh, it's a groove (sexy sexy) bring it back
Young HOV in the house it's so necessary
No bra with that blouse it's so necessary
No panties and jeans it's so necessary
Why you fronting on me?
Let's go to my hotel cause this don't go well
With those S Dots, gotta to stay fresh ma
Ma, I don't shop what the rest by
Oh no ma please respect ma
Jiggy this is probably purple label
Or that BBC or it's probably tailored
But y'all niggas acting way to tough
Throw on a suit get it tapered up, and let's just
(Change clothes and go) You know I stay, fresh to death
I brought you from the projects
And I'm a take you to the top of the globe so let's go (change numbers and go)
Uh huh yeah, uh (now girl I promise you, no substitute)
It's just me
Uh uh (sexy sexy) sing along
Yeah, uh (sexy sexy) turn your radio up
Woo! (sexy sexy) Put your hands in the air if your in the car
Uh! Snap your fingers now (sexy sexy) woo, uh
Uh, uh, your boy is back
Uh huh, uh, uh, uh, the bounce is back
Uh, uh, woo, uh HOV is back, peace!
Tell the whole world the truth is back
You ain't got to argue about who could rap
Cause the proof is back just go through my rap
New York New York yeah where my troopers at
Where my hustlers where my boosters at
I don't care what you do for stacks
I know the world glued you back to the wall
You gotta brawl to that
I been through that, been shot at shoot back
Gotta keep it peace like a Buddhist
I ain't a New Jack nobody goin' Wesley Snipe me
It's less than likely, move back
Let I breathe Jedi Knight
The more space I get the better I write
(Oh) Never I write, but, if, ever I write
I need the space to say whatever I like, now just
(Change clothes and go) You know I stay, fresh to death
I brought you from the projects
And I'm a take you to the top of the globe so let's go (change numbers and go)
Uh huh yeah, uh (now girl I promise you, no substitute)
It's just me
And I goin' tell you again let's get ghost in the phantom
You could bring your friend we could make this a tandem
You could come by yourself and you could stand him
Best believe I sweat out weaves, give Afro puffs like R.A.g.e.
You get if you could move it
Back it on up like a you Haul truck
Then run and tell them thugs you heard HOV knew
He and the boy for real make beautiful music
He is to the east coast what Snoop is, to the west coast what Face is to Houston
Young HOV in the house it's so necessary
No bra with the blouse it's so necessary
No panties and jeans that's so necessary
Now why you fronting on me is that necessary
Do I to you look like a lame
Who don't understand a bra with a mean shoe game
Whose up on Dot Dot Dot and Vera Wang
Ma are you insane, let's just
(What you want me to do?)
(Change clothes and go) You know I stay, fresh to death
I brought you from the projects
And I'm a take you to the top of the globe so let's go (change numbers and go)
Uh huh yeah, uh (now girl I promise you, no substitute)
It's just me
Uh, uh (sexy sexy) Woo!
Uh huh (sexy sexy) It's so necessary right)
Uh huh, woo! (Sexy sexy) that's right it's a groove
Uh huh, it's a groove (sexy sexy) bring it back
Young HOV in the house it's so necessary
No bra with that blouse it's so necessary
No panties and jeans it's so necessary
Why you fronting on me?
Let's go to my hotel cause this don't go well
With those S Dots, gotta to stay fresh ma
Ma, I don't shop what the rest by
Oh no ma please respect ma
Jiggy this is probably purple label
Or that BBC or it's probably tailored
But y'all niggas acting way to tough
Throw on a suit get it tapered up, and let's just
(Change clothes and go) You know I stay, fresh to death
I brought you from the projects
And I'm a take you to the top of the globe so let's go (change numbers and go)
Uh huh yeah, uh (now girl I promise you, no substitute)
It's just me
Uh uh (sexy sexy) sing along
Yeah, uh (sexy sexy) turn your radio up
Woo! (sexy sexy) Put your hands in the air if your in the car
Uh! Snap your fingers now (sexy sexy) woo, uh
Uh, uh, your boy is back
Uh huh, uh, uh, uh, the bounce is back
Uh, uh, woo, uh HOV is back, peace!
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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,
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
WHY THE FUCK HASENT ANYONE WROTE ABOUT THIS SONG! THIS IS THE BEST JAY-Z SONG! IF NOT THE BEST SONG IN THE WHOLE FRICKIN' WORLD! THE BEAT IS DOPE!!!! DAMN THIS SHIT IS FLY!
hahaha this song is funny, i like it actually! and Pharrel!!! WHooooooooo
This song sounds really amazing with a subwoofer and when you're baked. x)
this song is awesome, needs more comments lol
Definitely my favorite song to get -ready-to-go-out to!
I love this song!
The worst song on The Black Album, but still good. This is an example of Party Rapper Jigga, catchy, but not a lot of lyricism.
pharrell is the sexiest shit out there.
almost.
D4MVP I agree, one of the worst songs on his album. Jay-Z has a LOT of potential but he ''dumbs down for his audience and doubles his dollars''. Listen to Allure and My 1st Song. If only he'd be like that all the time.
this song is kick ass,it's like one ONE of the best Hova songs out there,i LUV Hov yo,he's like one of the best.Shit if not the best!