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."
A girl went back to Napoli
Because she missed the scenery
The native dances and the charming songs
But wait a minute, something's wrong
Hey, mambo, mambo italiano
Hey, mambo, mambo italiano
Go, go, go you mixed up siciliano
All you calabrese do the mambo like a crazy with a-
Hey mambo, don't wanna tarantella
Hey mambo, no more a mozzarella
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Try an enchilada with the fishy baccalà and then a-
Hey cumpa', I love a how you dance a rhumba
But take-a some advice, paesano
Learn-a how to mambo
If you gonna be a square
You ain't a gonna go nowhere
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Go, go, Joe, shake like a Giovanno
Hello, che si dice, getta happy in the feets-a when you
Mambo italiano
Shake-a baby, shake-a 'cause I love-a when you take a me
Mama say stop-a or I'm gonna tell papa
And-a hey jadrool you don't-a have to go to school
Just make-a with the beat bambino
It's-a like a vino
Kid, you good a lookin' but you don't a-know what's cookin' till you
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Ho, ho, Joe, you mixed up siciliano
It's a so delish-a everybody come, capisci
How to mambo italiano
'Ats nice (uh)
Because she missed the scenery
The native dances and the charming songs
But wait a minute, something's wrong
Hey, mambo, mambo italiano
Hey, mambo, mambo italiano
Go, go, go you mixed up siciliano
All you calabrese do the mambo like a crazy with a-
Hey mambo, don't wanna tarantella
Hey mambo, no more a mozzarella
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Try an enchilada with the fishy baccalà and then a-
Hey cumpa', I love a how you dance a rhumba
But take-a some advice, paesano
Learn-a how to mambo
If you gonna be a square
You ain't a gonna go nowhere
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Go, go, Joe, shake like a Giovanno
Hello, che si dice, getta happy in the feets-a when you
Mambo italiano
Shake-a baby, shake-a 'cause I love-a when you take a me
Mama say stop-a or I'm gonna tell papa
And-a hey jadrool you don't-a have to go to school
Just make-a with the beat bambino
It's-a like a vino
Kid, you good a lookin' but you don't a-know what's cookin' till you
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Hey mambo, mambo italiano
Ho, ho, Joe, you mixed up siciliano
It's a so delish-a everybody come, capisci
How to mambo italiano
'Ats nice (uh)
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My friend introduced this song to me on a mix she made for me. I love the way she sings this song! The meaning of this song has always confused me though. I can't figure out if its about dancing, food or sex. Maybe a combination of all three...
PK, I also love this song and that is why I "introduced" it to you. I think it could be about dancing and fitting in and she just uses the name of different kinds of food because she is italian? Who really knows, but it is a great song.
This great song is meant to be comic. The irony of the song is that the Mambo is NOT an Italian dance! Mambo is a Latin dance of Cuba. Mambo music was invented during the 1930s by Arsenio RodrÃguez,(thanks Wikipedia) That's why the first verse ends with "But wait a minute, something's wrong": The girl is Italian but she loves the Spanish song & dance. The song appropriates the Mambo to the Italians. To this day, as a result of this song many people think the Mambo is an Italian dance. That's globalization!
I love this song!!!! It was written by Bob Merrill in the 1050s. He wrote it while eating at an Italian restaurant in New York, writing on a paper napkin, and using the wall pay-phone to dictate the melody, rhythm and lyrics to the recording studio pianist, under the aegis of conductor Mitch Miller. Simplicity is the best!
Ha ha ha, I did not see I missed the 9 and put a 0! I meant it was written in the 1950s! :)
I always loved Rosemary's version, but the lyric about the enchilida confuses me. Are there Italian version of Enchiladas I've never heard of or tried?