The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Who draws the crowd?
Who plays so loud?
Baby it's the guitar man
Who's gonna steal the show
You know baby it's the guitar man
He can make you love he can make you cry
He will bring you down he will get you high
Something keeps him going
Miles and miles away
To find another place to play
And night after night who treats you right
Baby it's the guitar man
Who's on the radio?
You know baby it's the guitar man
When he comes to town and you see his face
And you think you might like to take his place
Something keeps him drifting miles and miles away
Searching for the songs to play
Then you listen to the music and you'd like to sing along
And you want to get the meaning out of each and every song
And you find yourself a message and some words to call your own and take 'em home
He can make you love he can get you high
He will bring you down he will make you cry
Something keeps him moving
But no one seems to know
What it is that makes him go
Then the lights begin to flicker and the sound is getting dim
The voice begins to falter and the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice he's just got to find another place to play
(Fade away)
(Got to play)
(Fade away)
Who plays so loud?
Baby it's the guitar man
Who's gonna steal the show
You know baby it's the guitar man
He can make you love he can make you cry
He will bring you down he will get you high
Something keeps him going
Miles and miles away
To find another place to play
And night after night who treats you right
Baby it's the guitar man
Who's on the radio?
You know baby it's the guitar man
When he comes to town and you see his face
And you think you might like to take his place
Something keeps him drifting miles and miles away
Searching for the songs to play
Then you listen to the music and you'd like to sing along
And you want to get the meaning out of each and every song
And you find yourself a message and some words to call your own and take 'em home
He can make you love he can get you high
He will bring you down he will make you cry
Something keeps him moving
But no one seems to know
What it is that makes him go
Then the lights begin to flicker and the sound is getting dim
The voice begins to falter and the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice he's just got to find another place to play
(Fade away)
(Got to play)
(Fade away)
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Mountain Song
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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."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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 think it's not about a real musician, he just compares with the routine of one. Like we're all musicians who go from place to place, trying to figure out what we want. I heard the song as if it was about someone who is the kind of person that brights up the place. The kind of person that stops all conversation when gets into a bar, and everyone who know him believes he is an interesting and amazing person. He doesnt think that way, thou. He is lost, he doesn't know what he wants, he doesnt really have a place to go, so hes just wandering around, trying to find something to get attached to. So he goes from place to place trying to find something or someone to live for. but he never truly does. Because he's such an intense person, people want to get to know him so bad. People get curious about him, they think they know what he's been through or what he's all about, and try to connect with him. He let this people in, and he gives himself to te fullest, so he loves them all he can, but at some point he realizes that's not what he wants, so he need to find someone else, somewhere else. And b/c of that, he break people down. I also think that the last part is because he is never really commited to anything, so even thou people get really excited with him at the begining, he creates a distance between he and everyone else, so he ends up fading away in his friendships; but not that he really cares, he's just trying to figure out whats important for him, so he doesnt mind disappearing in the crowd.
I think its a song for all those moments we feel lost, we feel we need to get our $h!t together, os just figure out who we really are; for those moments we try to do something that really means for ourselves. At least that's how i feel about the song. It says we're all musicians at some point, trying to sing our hearts out, eve thou the crowd just treates you like ambient music, and so we need to keep on the road till we find whatever weve been looking for.