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."
They put us to work, the anvil-brigade
The angels lost track when we started to fade
Believing is seeing, you're seeming okay
I've seen men lose their love at the end of our break
Now now now!
CHORUS
More than a fighting chance I've got
Seems like I'm losing out a lot
Maybe the sun still knows my name
I'll walk on my own two feet again
I'm just a clean cut individual
This ain't no second class residual
And from the bottom I can feel you screaming
You turn your face to the rain, I see you smiling again
Maybe there'll be no more pain the day we all go insane
They made us create, they made us run farther
They made us believe there was no one to bother
It feels like I'm old, it seems like I'm older
She came in a box, I loved and I sold her
CHORUS
More than a fighting chance I've got
Seems like I'm losing out a lot
Maybe the sun still knows my name
I'll walk on my own two feet again
I'm just a clean cut individual
This ain't no second class residual
And from the bottom I can feel you screaming
You turn your face to the rain, I see you smiling again
Maybe there'll be no more pain the day we all go insane
The angels lost track when we started to fade
Believing is seeing, you're seeming okay
I've seen men lose their love at the end of our break
Now now now!
CHORUS
More than a fighting chance I've got
Seems like I'm losing out a lot
Maybe the sun still knows my name
I'll walk on my own two feet again
I'm just a clean cut individual
This ain't no second class residual
And from the bottom I can feel you screaming
You turn your face to the rain, I see you smiling again
Maybe there'll be no more pain the day we all go insane
They made us create, they made us run farther
They made us believe there was no one to bother
It feels like I'm old, it seems like I'm older
She came in a box, I loved and I sold her
CHORUS
More than a fighting chance I've got
Seems like I'm losing out a lot
Maybe the sun still knows my name
I'll walk on my own two feet again
I'm just a clean cut individual
This ain't no second class residual
And from the bottom I can feel you screaming
You turn your face to the rain, I see you smiling again
Maybe there'll be no more pain the day we all go insane
Lyrics submitted by UnSafetyPin
'A' Song Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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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.
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.
this is one of the prettiest songs i've ever heard... i was almost crying when i heard it the first time... rock on hedley!! :)
i love this song so much!
I turn my face to the rain and see you smiling again Maybe there'll be no more pain The day we all go insane
oh gosh, those words just melt my heart! jacob writes the most beautiful lyrics. you all should hear this song!
This song is truly gorgeous.
Favorite lines are "she came in a box, I loved and I sold her"...
and,
"I turn my face to the rain to see you smiling again. Maybe there'll be no more pain the day we all go insane."
This song is just beautiful.
Not only are the lyrics BEAUTIFUL but it's a side of Jacob we don't see to often. It's very soothing
I love this song. I think evry hedley fan that has heard this song does. Awsome lyrics great voice what more can you ask for.
an oldie but a goodie
"she came in a box, i loved and i sold her"
total <3