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."
General joy I know I know
You'll take me there
Where your boys were left behind
General joy it seems you need
A soldier girl -
Now "they" have liberty gagged
By boat by tram by motorbus
Could it be the fates are protecting us
From the hawks that have stolen the bird from the sky
And I know
You will always love sorrow
Is that why
You gave her dress to happiness?
Cause it matches her eyes
When she cries
General joy it seems
You don't love your bride
Generally
You're friends but she is not the love of your life
To dye to perm to change your hair or your wife
The possibilities are there
And it's time for you to decide
General joy I know I know
You'll take me there
But you'll need strength
From within
General joy it seems you need
A soldier girl
And a willing coalition
By boat by tram by motorbus
Could it be the hawks are protecting us
From the men who have now assumed their name
You'll take me there
Where your boys were left behind
General joy it seems you need
A soldier girl -
Now "they" have liberty gagged
By boat by tram by motorbus
Could it be the fates are protecting us
From the hawks that have stolen the bird from the sky
And I know
You will always love sorrow
Is that why
You gave her dress to happiness?
Cause it matches her eyes
When she cries
General joy it seems
You don't love your bride
Generally
You're friends but she is not the love of your life
To dye to perm to change your hair or your wife
The possibilities are there
And it's time for you to decide
General joy I know I know
You'll take me there
But you'll need strength
From within
General joy it seems you need
A soldier girl
And a willing coalition
By boat by tram by motorbus
Could it be the hawks are protecting us
From the men who have now assumed their name
Lyrics submitted by merchantpierce
General Joy Lyrics as written by Tori Ellen Amos
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Basically it's saying that we can't always be happy & perfect with what you have, & that you have to make due. The line "and I know you will always love Sorrow is that why you gave her dress to Happiness? \'cause it matches her eyes when she cries"
is basically saying that he's (it's obviously talking in terms of a man wanting a woman) always going to want this image, and sometimes that image is unattainable to get. In turn, he manipulates things around him to get his wish. I think the entire piece talks about the restlessness and agressiveness of society, especially from a gender point of view.
I kind of took something different from it -- I think she's talking about a man who's had a sad past, lost his innocence, etc (back where your boys were left behind). Now he feels trapped in the life that he has, where he doesn't love his wife but he is so jaded that he doesn't really believe in happiness anymore. He clothes even his happiness in sorrow because he knows it will disappoint ("when she cries"). He just continues on his life, perhaps travelling alot ("by boat, by tram, by autobus") superficially trying to escape his life while not doing anything to change it for fear that he will face more disappointment ("protecting us...from the hawks that have stolen the bird from the sky") Sorry so long :)
This is definitely a political song, especially in the verse: 'General Joy it seems you need a soldier girl and a willing coalition'
For some odd reason, this song makes me think of the whole Brad Pitt (General Joy)/ Jennifer Aniston (Wife) divorce for Angelina Jolie (Soldier Girl). And I always thought the lyric was "Is that why you gave her address to happiness". This one makes sense too though.
sounds musically like Faith no More was an ifluance
All I know is that this is a very political album of hers.
And love the way she sings "motorbus".
I think this might be a reference to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, but I could be wrong. He was a Commander, rather than a General, but his wife was Serena Joy...
Ooh I like that idea, non vintage! Could well be...