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."
You don't want to be
I don't want to see
Baby get your feet on the floor
Shut the door, count to four
There's ice (On your shoulders)
I don't want to fall face down in the flood
Of the tears from the years that we loved and we messed up
(Don't mess this up)
Let's get older
Remember the foggy window?
Remember lightning and wet clothes?
Remember the house we used to live in the cemetery?
The cemetery?
There's a shadow on the wall and it's nine feet tall
And our hearts won't sink cause it's obviously nothing at all
And in a roundabout way we can disappear towards the coast
The most I have to say isn't really that revealing at all
Everyone you forgot
Everything you could need
Everybody's gonna make it to the cemetery
There's a Fab, there's a Yick
There's a Jenny, there's a Karen
There's a Paul, there's a Jack
There's a Denny
Everyone you forgot
Everything that you need
Everybody's gonna make it to the cemetery
There's a Ross, there's a Neil
There's a Lenny, there's an Aaron
There's a Saul, there's a Chip
There's a Benny
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Do you remember?
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Do you remember?
Remember the foggy window?
Remember lightning and wet clothes?
Remember the house we used to live in the cemetery?
The cemetery?
There's a shadow on the wall and it's nine feet tall
And our hearts won't sink cause it's obviously nothing at all
And in a roundabout way we can disappear towards the coast
The most I have to say isn't really that revealing at all
I don't want to see
Baby get your feet on the floor
Shut the door, count to four
There's ice (On your shoulders)
I don't want to fall face down in the flood
Of the tears from the years that we loved and we messed up
(Don't mess this up)
Let's get older
Remember the foggy window?
Remember lightning and wet clothes?
Remember the house we used to live in the cemetery?
The cemetery?
There's a shadow on the wall and it's nine feet tall
And our hearts won't sink cause it's obviously nothing at all
And in a roundabout way we can disappear towards the coast
The most I have to say isn't really that revealing at all
Everyone you forgot
Everything you could need
Everybody's gonna make it to the cemetery
There's a Fab, there's a Yick
There's a Jenny, there's a Karen
There's a Paul, there's a Jack
There's a Denny
Everyone you forgot
Everything that you need
Everybody's gonna make it to the cemetery
There's a Ross, there's a Neil
There's a Lenny, there's an Aaron
There's a Saul, there's a Chip
There's a Benny
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Do you remember?
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Oh woah woah woah, way oh, way oh
Do you remember?
Remember the foggy window?
Remember lightning and wet clothes?
Remember the house we used to live in the cemetery?
The cemetery?
There's a shadow on the wall and it's nine feet tall
And our hearts won't sink cause it's obviously nothing at all
And in a roundabout way we can disappear towards the coast
The most I have to say isn't really that revealing at all
Lyrics submitted by satori-birdy
The Cemetery Lyrics as written by Bird
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I love this song! I can't help singing out loud to it :)