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."
Pickin' up the pieces of my sweet shattered dream
I wonder how the old folks are tonight
Her name was Ann and I'll be damned if I recall her face
She left me not knowin' what to do
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Turnin' back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied
With knowin' I got no one left to blame
Carefree highway, I got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Searchin' through the fragments of my dream-shattered sleep
I wonder if the years have closed her mind
I guess it must be wanderlust or tryin' to get free
From the good old faithful feelin' we once knew
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen the better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, I got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
I wonder how the old folks are tonight
Her name was Ann and I'll be damned if I recall her face
She left me not knowin' what to do
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Turnin' back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied
With knowin' I got no one left to blame
Carefree highway, I got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Searchin' through the fragments of my dream-shattered sleep
I wonder if the years have closed her mind
I guess it must be wanderlust or tryin' to get free
From the good old faithful feelin' we once knew
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen the better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, I got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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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,
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
This song should be one of the top 500 ever written. It is a great song about innocence lost. He once rode on the 'carefree highway' of life with this girl. Well, it turns out life isn't so carefree. He's wondering what life's highway is bringing her and if she ever thinks about their time together in a simpler more carefree time.
Carefree highway, you seen better days The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes Carefree highway, let me slip away Slip away on you
Sentimental lyrics about childhood memories.
Oh man, just one comment? Awesome song, one of my all-time favorites.
Every time I hear this great song I want to get drunk while reminiscing. I say top 100 ever written, joining Sundown & If You Could Read My Mind.
Exactly, Nosmas [cept I don't drink]
so the lyrics are pretty obvious, but i had to comment because i love gordon lightfoot:
he hits the road thinking about a relationship that went bad. it's obviously something that happened a long time ago ("I wonder if the years have closed her mind") but feels like it was just yesterday ("The mornin' after blues") and as a result it still haunts him.
great great song,music just isnt like this anymore!
I was thinking the same exact thing....I saw him in 1978 and he ended the concert (after his curtain call) with this song.....It runs through my mind a lot...I can still hear it in my head like it was yesterday. Fabulous song.
Ugh..story of my life right now haha
what a great song, so melancholy and full of regret....<br /> <br /> to me this song is about a man who is lamenting the loss of his love (ann) years ago because he cheated on her.... the morning after he realizes that he just ruined the relationship; <br /> <br /> "she left me not knowing what to do"; it is she that doesn't know what to do about his infidelity, so she left him (as opposed to him not knowing what to do..)<br /> <br /> "knowing i got no one else to blame" obviously he knows it was his fault<br /> <br /> "the morning after blues" caused by his cheating<br /> <br /> "the good old faithful feeling we once knew" that can't be regained
Just so powerfully poignant; never fails the tears flow when I read those lyrics;
========
The needless loss that cant be regained,
and no one else left to blame.
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Could someone add the copyright date? ty.
One of my favorite lines of all time: "Searchin' through the fragments of my dream-shattered sleep"....................... Wow.....I had a similar experience with a woman I once was close to.....I could not see her face. Finally found a photo of her....but like Gord said: "I'll be damned if I recall her face"........isn't that weird?
This is what I hear: I think Lightfoot is saying that he took the Carefree Highway by cheating on Ann - that's why he has "the morning after blues from my head down to my shoes". And the Carefree Highway left him not knowin what to do. He wants her to forget about his mistake: "Turnin' back the pages to the times I love best I wonder if she'll ever do the same"
Lightfoot wrote this song as he was approaching 40 years old. Right off he mentions the old folks. His mother recognized his talent as a young child. Ann was his grandmother who had worried about his chosen career.