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."
Stop, be quiet now
Out with the light and,
Then up and down it goes
Fly
out with the light
There at the door,
The Inspiration I´ve looked for,
The Spirit of the youth appears
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
It's make believe,
make believe
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
But One day it all will come to life
Step out of line
And I'll teach you how to fly
The Away we´ll go
Leave your mark, leave your mark in the land of mine
The second one to the right
And then Straight on until morning light
Stop, be quiet now
No irritation
No not the slightest doubt
We go at once
Quick - We better hurry,
There from the road i sense
The end of fun gets near
Wonderful thoughts and imaginations
These dreams will lift you up
What is it like? You ask me, my dear
Will there be fairies, or things to fear
For fairies sake I'd say you better come with me
so soon you´ll see,
Now up and down it goes and round
round and round and round,
Praise to my cleverness
they all follow me,
All praise to innocence
that's everything it needs,
Fly in,
fly out,
they leave it all behind
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
It's make believe,
make believe
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
But One day it all will come to life
Step out of line
And I'll teach you how to fly
The Away we´ll go
Leave your mark, leave your mark in the land of mine
Solo
Life is a map and it is quite confusing
The lights are up now let the play begin
She flies, she flies,
into the light she flies
No words like "just" in mind
She's finding Neverland
there on the day she dies
Don't stop it now,
she still enjoys the scene
Don't stop it now,
don't stop it now,
don't stop it now,
don't stop it now, now, now
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
It's make believe,
make believe
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
But One day it all will come to life
Step out of line
And I'll teach you how to fly
The Away we´ll go
Leave your mark, leave your mark in the land of mine
Out with the light and,
Then up and down it goes
Fly
out with the light
There at the door,
The Inspiration I´ve looked for,
The Spirit of the youth appears
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
It's make believe,
make believe
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
But One day it all will come to life
Step out of line
And I'll teach you how to fly
The Away we´ll go
Leave your mark, leave your mark in the land of mine
The second one to the right
And then Straight on until morning light
Stop, be quiet now
No irritation
No not the slightest doubt
We go at once
Quick - We better hurry,
There from the road i sense
The end of fun gets near
Wonderful thoughts and imaginations
These dreams will lift you up
What is it like? You ask me, my dear
Will there be fairies, or things to fear
For fairies sake I'd say you better come with me
so soon you´ll see,
Now up and down it goes and round
round and round and round,
Praise to my cleverness
they all follow me,
All praise to innocence
that's everything it needs,
Fly in,
fly out,
they leave it all behind
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
It's make believe,
make believe
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
But One day it all will come to life
Step out of line
And I'll teach you how to fly
The Away we´ll go
Leave your mark, leave your mark in the land of mine
Solo
Life is a map and it is quite confusing
The lights are up now let the play begin
She flies, she flies,
into the light she flies
No words like "just" in mind
She's finding Neverland
there on the day she dies
Don't stop it now,
she still enjoys the scene
Don't stop it now,
don't stop it now,
don't stop it now,
don't stop it now, now, now
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
It's make believe,
make believe
No one ever dares to speak
It's nothing else but fantasy
But One day it all will come to life
Step out of line
And I'll teach you how to fly
The Away we´ll go
Leave your mark, leave your mark in the land of mine
Lyrics submitted by TheTonJudge
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I like this song the more I hear it, to the point where it's now one of my favorites on the album. It reminds me of when I was a kid, watching Peter Pan, and it wasn't so rediculous to imagine that you could be young forever. Something about this song just seems to haunt me.
"Step out of line and/ I'll teach you how to fly"