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."
come on, where have you gone
i think you know just where i am
i think you know what i’m doing
that late afternoon
i caught you behind the school
your mind in the mid-day sun
the taking on of everyone
burning off just a little shame
in the room with the figurines
we saw the gloom was counterfeit
and saw right down to our bones
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never could it go
never could it go on time
in the room with the figurines
you were holding years too tight
and you’d turned into something strange
you turned into someone plain
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never could it go
never could it go on time
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can
i think you know just where i am
i think you know what i’m doing
that late afternoon
i caught you behind the school
your mind in the mid-day sun
the taking on of everyone
burning off just a little shame
in the room with the figurines
we saw the gloom was counterfeit
and saw right down to our bones
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never could it go
never could it go on time
in the room with the figurines
you were holding years too tight
and you’d turned into something strange
you turned into someone plain
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never will it go completely
oh, it comes, and tries to leave
but never could it go
never could it go on time
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can
hopefully we can stop thinking about it so much
hopefully we can
hopefully we can
Lyrics submitted by downhillracer
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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