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."
Did somebody tell you what I couldn't tell you
I hope they did
I hope they didn't
Well I oughta regret it
Or should I forget it
Whatever this is
It feels electric
You shot me a sweet look
Gave me your yearbook
Told me to sign it
It was a signal
But I couldn't find the words
I just couldn't find the nerve
As usual
Here's my bright idea
I'll just disappear
I'll just fly away from here
(Hey!)
And now you're in Hollywood
Right in my neighborhood
Things are really looking up for you
An army of managers
And lots of pretty boys lining up
To read for you
Oh, I'm pretty sure that it was you
That I bumped into just the other day
At the record store
But I still don't have a clue
I just couldn't talk to you
As usual
Here's my bright idea
Mmmm
I'll just disappear
Woah
Here's my bright idea
Bamb bamb bamb bamb
I'll just disappear
I'll just fly away from here
So I come to your event
In my well rehearsed mystique
I show up an hour late
But I've been ready for a week
And you float into the hallway
like some neon silohuette
I'm slowly losing oxygen
and my hands are soaking wet
all the cameras and reporters
piling up on one another
just to get a look at you
they all want an interview
Then I make my move
push them out of my way
but I still just don't know what to say
Here's my bright idea
Mmmmm
I'll just disappear
Woah
Here's my bright idea
Bamb bamb bamb bamb
I'll just disappear
I'll just fly away from here
Here's my bright idea
Here's my bright idea
Here's my bright
Here's my bright
Here's my bright idea
Woah
I hope they did
I hope they didn't
Well I oughta regret it
Or should I forget it
Whatever this is
It feels electric
You shot me a sweet look
Gave me your yearbook
Told me to sign it
It was a signal
But I couldn't find the words
I just couldn't find the nerve
As usual
Here's my bright idea
I'll just disappear
I'll just fly away from here
(Hey!)
And now you're in Hollywood
Right in my neighborhood
Things are really looking up for you
An army of managers
And lots of pretty boys lining up
To read for you
Oh, I'm pretty sure that it was you
That I bumped into just the other day
At the record store
But I still don't have a clue
I just couldn't talk to you
As usual
Here's my bright idea
Mmmm
I'll just disappear
Woah
Here's my bright idea
Bamb bamb bamb bamb
I'll just disappear
I'll just fly away from here
So I come to your event
In my well rehearsed mystique
I show up an hour late
But I've been ready for a week
And you float into the hallway
like some neon silohuette
I'm slowly losing oxygen
and my hands are soaking wet
all the cameras and reporters
piling up on one another
just to get a look at you
they all want an interview
Then I make my move
push them out of my way
but I still just don't know what to say
Here's my bright idea
Mmmmm
I'll just disappear
Woah
Here's my bright idea
Bamb bamb bamb bamb
I'll just disappear
I'll just fly away from here
Here's my bright idea
Here's my bright idea
Here's my bright
Here's my bright
Here's my bright idea
Woah
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
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.
WHo cares wot it means this is the worst song I have heard for ages. Its tedious and repetative. I can't believe it took five of these apes to write it. "Hey I've got a good idea, at the end we cud repeat the chorus till ppl puke on their TVs." Good one. Check out a proper band, like Eels.