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."
Well you win, it's your show now
So what's it gonna be
'Cause people will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see
Before we lose touch of
We thought this was low
It's bad getting worse so
Where did all the good people go,
I've been changing channels
I don't see them
On the TV shows
Where did all the good people go,
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow
They got this and that
With a rattle of tat
Testing, one two
Man what you gonna do
Bad news, misused
Got too much to lose
Gimme some truth
Now whose side are we on
Whatever you say, turn on the boob tube
I'm in the mood to obey
So lead me astray, and by the way now
Where did all the good people go,
I've been changing channels I don't see them
On the TV shows
Where did all the good people go,
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow
Sitting around feeling far away
So far away but I can feel the debris
Can you feel it
You interrupt me from a friendly conversation
To tell me how great it's all gonna be
You might notice some hesitation
It's important to you it's not important to me
But way down by the edge or your reason
Well it's beginning to show
And all I really want to know is
Where did all the good people go,
I've been changing channels
I don't see them on the T.V. shows
Where did all the good people go,
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow
They got this and that
With a rattle of tat
Test down, one two
Man what you gonna do
Bad news, missed use
Gimme some truth
You got too much to lose
Now whose side are we on
But anyway, okay, whatever you say,
Wrong or resolute, I'm in the mood to obey
Station through station
Desensitizing the nation
Where did all the people go?
Going, going, gone
So what's it gonna be
'Cause people will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see
Before we lose touch of
We thought this was low
It's bad getting worse so
Where did all the good people go,
I've been changing channels
I don't see them
On the TV shows
Where did all the good people go,
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow
They got this and that
With a rattle of tat
Testing, one two
Man what you gonna do
Bad news, misused
Got too much to lose
Gimme some truth
Now whose side are we on
Whatever you say, turn on the boob tube
I'm in the mood to obey
So lead me astray, and by the way now
Where did all the good people go,
I've been changing channels I don't see them
On the TV shows
Where did all the good people go,
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow
Sitting around feeling far away
So far away but I can feel the debris
Can you feel it
You interrupt me from a friendly conversation
To tell me how great it's all gonna be
You might notice some hesitation
It's important to you it's not important to me
But way down by the edge or your reason
Well it's beginning to show
And all I really want to know is
Where did all the good people go,
I've been changing channels
I don't see them on the T.V. shows
Where did all the good people go,
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow
They got this and that
With a rattle of tat
Test down, one two
Man what you gonna do
Bad news, missed use
Gimme some truth
You got too much to lose
Now whose side are we on
But anyway, okay, whatever you say,
Wrong or resolute, I'm in the mood to obey
Station through station
Desensitizing the nation
Where did all the people go?
Going, going, gone
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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,
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much like ted leo/pharmacists, jack makes a politically and socially charged song feel so happy-go-lucky. Love it. :)