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 are the one everyone wants to be
I am the one they say, "I'm glad that's not me."
When I go to sleep, I dream about you
When you go to sleep, I bet you dream about you, too
Your life is filled with good times and cool clothes
My life stands still, just watching where your life goes
God please, let me live in your world for one week
This life all yours, and it's a tease for those like me...
And it's a tease for those like me...
Sometimes I picture myself beating you up
I see myself slamming your head off the ground
And you beg and you plead and you cry constantly
I'll make you say that I'm the best and make you say you wish you were me
And then, in your mind, I see me fucking your girl
Your cool car is now mine and so is your popular world
All your friends, they love me, and love that I HATE YOU
I'm like superhero, God that ass motherfucker red, white and blue
You don't know me, but I know you
It's a real love/hate thing; I love to hate you
I get so frustrated...but tell me, just what can I do?
I'll never be you (So true) [x4]
I'll never be you
I'll never be you
No, I'll never be you
I'll never be you
I'll never be you
No, I'll never be you
I'll never be
Never be Y-O-U
I wanna neva be…
I will never neva be...
You you you you you…
I wanna be [x4]
I want to be you
But alas, this song past, my daydream fades to black
Boring me, hopelessly, wishing that you’d be attacked
And raped by demented monkeys with huge cocks
And painted green like a jellybean
Made a trampoline and a toxic swamp
You’re so smug, and so fake with your laugh and your click
I want to be you so bad it makes me so fucking sick
But you suck, and you stink, and you’re soulless and mean
I wanna be in your fake, smug world
We can hang out down at the Coffee Bean
We can hang out down at the Coffee Bean
You and me hanging down at the Coffee Bean
I will never be
Never, never be
I know I’ll never
No, I’ll never
I know
No I’ll never be you and that fucking pisses me off
I hate you, I hate you but I really, really want to be you
Fuck!
I am the one they say, "I'm glad that's not me."
When I go to sleep, I dream about you
When you go to sleep, I bet you dream about you, too
Your life is filled with good times and cool clothes
My life stands still, just watching where your life goes
God please, let me live in your world for one week
This life all yours, and it's a tease for those like me...
And it's a tease for those like me...
Sometimes I picture myself beating you up
I see myself slamming your head off the ground
And you beg and you plead and you cry constantly
I'll make you say that I'm the best and make you say you wish you were me
And then, in your mind, I see me fucking your girl
Your cool car is now mine and so is your popular world
All your friends, they love me, and love that I HATE YOU
I'm like superhero, God that ass motherfucker red, white and blue
You don't know me, but I know you
It's a real love/hate thing; I love to hate you
I get so frustrated...but tell me, just what can I do?
I'll never be you (So true) [x4]
I'll never be you
I'll never be you
No, I'll never be you
I'll never be you
I'll never be you
No, I'll never be you
I'll never be
Never be Y-O-U
I wanna neva be…
I will never neva be...
You you you you you…
I wanna be [x4]
I want to be you
But alas, this song past, my daydream fades to black
Boring me, hopelessly, wishing that you’d be attacked
And raped by demented monkeys with huge cocks
And painted green like a jellybean
Made a trampoline and a toxic swamp
You’re so smug, and so fake with your laugh and your click
I want to be you so bad it makes me so fucking sick
But you suck, and you stink, and you’re soulless and mean
I wanna be in your fake, smug world
We can hang out down at the Coffee Bean
We can hang out down at the Coffee Bean
You and me hanging down at the Coffee Bean
I will never be
Never, never be
I know I’ll never
No, I’ll never
I know
No I’ll never be you and that fucking pisses me off
I hate you, I hate you but I really, really want to be you
Fuck!
Lyrics submitted by bbp4life34
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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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
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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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
dane you were once cool in my book, but you grew popular...damn!