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."
So there you are, and here I stand,
As far as I remember you weren't half bad.
Your bedroom behavior was never more then checkmarks on bedposts.
For I remember we never had.
[Bridge:]
You get me out of the rain, you get me out of my clothes.
You hope I don't make a sound, you hope that nobody knows.
You get me out of the rain, you get me out of my clothes.
You hope I don't make a sound, you hope that no one...
[Chorus:]
So suck your so called pity down.
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?
So take your cold, cold heart and drown
and don't forget to take deep breaths.
So suck your so called pity down.
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?
So take your cold, cold heart and drown
and don't forget to take deep breaths.
[Chorus]
So don't explain cause I know exactly what your going to say.
Big words, recycled phrases, and the bittersweet taste of other boys on your lips.
So now just sit here and talk about how you wanted it all.
So now just sit here and talk about how you wanted it all.
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
Do you miss looking up from the floor at my face on a stage in a crowded room?
Well it's not the same.
I bet you're still a sucker for those famous faces.
Downtown, looking down, down, looking over the crowd, I hope you're out there, look at me now.
Well it's not the same.
Just look at how we've changed.
[Chorus]
As far as I remember you weren't half bad.
Your bedroom behavior was never more then checkmarks on bedposts.
For I remember we never had.
[Bridge:]
You get me out of the rain, you get me out of my clothes.
You hope I don't make a sound, you hope that nobody knows.
You get me out of the rain, you get me out of my clothes.
You hope I don't make a sound, you hope that no one...
[Chorus:]
So suck your so called pity down.
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?
So take your cold, cold heart and drown
and don't forget to take deep breaths.
So suck your so called pity down.
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?
So take your cold, cold heart and drown
and don't forget to take deep breaths.
[Chorus]
So don't explain cause I know exactly what your going to say.
Big words, recycled phrases, and the bittersweet taste of other boys on your lips.
So now just sit here and talk about how you wanted it all.
So now just sit here and talk about how you wanted it all.
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
Do you miss looking up from the floor at my face on a stage in a crowded room?
Well it's not the same.
I bet you're still a sucker for those famous faces.
Downtown, looking down, down, looking over the crowd, I hope you're out there, look at me now.
Well it's not the same.
Just look at how we've changed.
[Chorus]
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I agree with Porkula. But maybe the 'famous faces' parts means she'll sleep with guys just because they are in bands? So later when they get famous she'll be able to say she slept with them and will have the checkmarks on her bedpost to prove it? So she noted down how many band members she had slept with? Don't know...