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."
Here we go
Four more wheels and another road
Trips down a lane of memories
Remember last Summer
When you told me that you loved me
Now its Fall, does it still mean the same thing?
Best friends until the end
Favorite quotes and songs
I sang you all the words you wanted to hear
Now your gone
I guess it doesn't mean anything at all
Well everything I remember is false
I remember saying that you were true
And that I would always love you
And you'd love me back
Well I should have known girls like you
Move on like these wheels
Spinning, turning
Never looking back
Well your just a girl
I'm just a boy
Like a toy with batteries run dead
I'm sorry I'm not what you were looking for
I hope you find it in someones bed
Sheets so worn and lips lacking the taste mine have
I hope you regret those things
I hope I forget these things
I hope I forget them
I hope I forget you
If I don't then I'm screwed
Well tell me one last time
Why you had to go
And convince me that you were mine
In that book there was pictures
Of someone I couldn't be
No wonder you wouldn't let me see
I'm sorry I'm not what your looking for
I hope you find it in someones bed
Where the sheets arnt quite as warm and lips lacking the taste of mine
Now that I've sung this I'll be fine
I think I'll be fine
I think I'll be okay
But what do I know
Guessing not much
Guessing I don't know
What I really want
Guess I don't know what I want
Guess I don't know...
Four more wheels and another road
Trips down a lane of memories
Remember last Summer
When you told me that you loved me
Now its Fall, does it still mean the same thing?
Best friends until the end
Favorite quotes and songs
I sang you all the words you wanted to hear
Now your gone
I guess it doesn't mean anything at all
Well everything I remember is false
I remember saying that you were true
And that I would always love you
And you'd love me back
Well I should have known girls like you
Move on like these wheels
Spinning, turning
Never looking back
Well your just a girl
I'm just a boy
Like a toy with batteries run dead
I'm sorry I'm not what you were looking for
I hope you find it in someones bed
Sheets so worn and lips lacking the taste mine have
I hope you regret those things
I hope I forget these things
I hope I forget them
I hope I forget you
If I don't then I'm screwed
Well tell me one last time
Why you had to go
And convince me that you were mine
In that book there was pictures
Of someone I couldn't be
No wonder you wouldn't let me see
I'm sorry I'm not what your looking for
I hope you find it in someones bed
Where the sheets arnt quite as warm and lips lacking the taste of mine
Now that I've sung this I'll be fine
I think I'll be fine
I think I'll be okay
But what do I know
Guessing not much
Guessing I don't know
What I really want
Guess I don't know what I want
Guess I don't know...
Lyrics submitted by The Fighter
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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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.