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."
Every day at lunch in high school and all my senior year
I’d drink my cup of cola with a touch of Everclear
I never had to study math, science, or history
I’d have a chemical flash back to jog my memory
My junior year I swore I loved sweet Miss Sherri Ann
One night I put some Everclear in her Dr. Pepper can
Well I thought it’d make her easy
She took it pretty hard
I took her home and rang her doorbell left her lying in the yard
Chorus
Tequila dries me out
Beer just makes me fat
Whiskey makes me nauseas
Now tell me who the hell needs that
So if youre thinking about drinking
Well the answers crystal clear
It’s the invisible, intoxicating
It’s called Everclear
I remember my church picnic
In the spring of ‘89
Yeah they had four fresh watermelons
Sliced right off the vine
When they bowed their heads giving grace for the food
Hey I pulled out my bottle and I soaked them melons good
Well they never knew what hit em
When that potion went to work
They had grandmas doing back flips
Grandpas looking up their skirts
They were singing hallelujah and Willie Nelson songs
Preacher said it was the best dang picnic
That the Baptists had ever thrown
Chorus
Tequila dries me out
Beer just makes me fat
Whiskey makes me nauseas
Now tell me who the hell needs that
So if youre thinking about drinking
Well the answers crystal clear
It’s the invisible, intoxicating
It’s called Everclear
When I’m drinking Everclear
I think I’m king of this whole world
I’m bigger and badder than John Wayne
Cooler than Steve Earl
Until I wake up and I’m face down in the hall
Hey I’m completely naked for a reason I can’t recall
Well I’m kinda sorta thinking that maybe I met chick
Cause there’s perfume in the air
And there’s lipstick on my neck
Well I hope that she was pretty
And I hope that she was kind
Enough to leave my clothes somewhere
They’re easy to find
Chorus
Tequila dries me out
Beer just makes me fat
Whiskey makes me nauseas
Now tell me who the hell needs that
So if youre thinking about drinking
Well the answers crystal clear
It’s the invisible, intoxicating
It’s called Everclear
I’d drink my cup of cola with a touch of Everclear
I never had to study math, science, or history
I’d have a chemical flash back to jog my memory
My junior year I swore I loved sweet Miss Sherri Ann
One night I put some Everclear in her Dr. Pepper can
Well I thought it’d make her easy
She took it pretty hard
I took her home and rang her doorbell left her lying in the yard
Chorus
Tequila dries me out
Beer just makes me fat
Whiskey makes me nauseas
Now tell me who the hell needs that
So if youre thinking about drinking
Well the answers crystal clear
It’s the invisible, intoxicating
It’s called Everclear
I remember my church picnic
In the spring of ‘89
Yeah they had four fresh watermelons
Sliced right off the vine
When they bowed their heads giving grace for the food
Hey I pulled out my bottle and I soaked them melons good
Well they never knew what hit em
When that potion went to work
They had grandmas doing back flips
Grandpas looking up their skirts
They were singing hallelujah and Willie Nelson songs
Preacher said it was the best dang picnic
That the Baptists had ever thrown
Chorus
Tequila dries me out
Beer just makes me fat
Whiskey makes me nauseas
Now tell me who the hell needs that
So if youre thinking about drinking
Well the answers crystal clear
It’s the invisible, intoxicating
It’s called Everclear
When I’m drinking Everclear
I think I’m king of this whole world
I’m bigger and badder than John Wayne
Cooler than Steve Earl
Until I wake up and I’m face down in the hall
Hey I’m completely naked for a reason I can’t recall
Well I’m kinda sorta thinking that maybe I met chick
Cause there’s perfume in the air
And there’s lipstick on my neck
Well I hope that she was pretty
And I hope that she was kind
Enough to leave my clothes somewhere
They’re easy to find
Chorus
Tequila dries me out
Beer just makes me fat
Whiskey makes me nauseas
Now tell me who the hell needs that
So if youre thinking about drinking
Well the answers crystal clear
It’s the invisible, intoxicating
It’s called Everclear
Lyrics submitted by Rachondaloose
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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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
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Blue
Ed Sheeran
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“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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
IMO it's about a person who is playing all sides of a situation. They're trying to be one person's friend to get information, perhaps, and then the next minute they're trying to be best friends with a person on the opposite side for the same reason. In the end it backfires on them because their lies and backstabbing are exposed.