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."
There's a television on
In the basement where the beasts are chained to the wall
Theres a fistfight in the hall
Where the beasts all dance to songs made for listening
There's a backbone in a proportion
The majority lack one
But its not about backbones this time around
Maybe one chance, I don't know
I keep on counting down
I keep on getting to zero
Dragging ourselves over the canyon
Blank stares three thousand miles wide
One by one we gently fall upon the jagged edge of history
We're on the edge of history
One, two, three, R-A-B-I-D
Beastly invertebrates we be
This is a problem, you know you know the same
It took a while to connect
Swallowed transformed and caged
Showcased celebrities or suburban families
We have no means to save ourselves today
Maybe one chance, I don't know
I keep on counting down
I keep on getting to zero
Dragging ourselves over the canyon
Blank stares three thousand miles wide
One by one we gently fall upon the jagged edge of history
We're on the edge of history
We're on the edge of...
In the basement where the beasts are chained to the wall
Theres a fistfight in the hall
Where the beasts all dance to songs made for listening
There's a backbone in a proportion
The majority lack one
But its not about backbones this time around
Maybe one chance, I don't know
I keep on counting down
I keep on getting to zero
Dragging ourselves over the canyon
Blank stares three thousand miles wide
One by one we gently fall upon the jagged edge of history
We're on the edge of history
One, two, three, R-A-B-I-D
Beastly invertebrates we be
This is a problem, you know you know the same
It took a while to connect
Swallowed transformed and caged
Showcased celebrities or suburban families
We have no means to save ourselves today
Maybe one chance, I don't know
I keep on counting down
I keep on getting to zero
Dragging ourselves over the canyon
Blank stares three thousand miles wide
One by one we gently fall upon the jagged edge of history
We're on the edge of history
We're on the edge of...
Lyrics submitted by punkpirate
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
i recently discovered No Trigger and from what i can see, they seem to be like a more talented/more hardcore Sum 41. compare the voices of the singers and you'll know what i mean. No Trigger-Good.
i recently discovered No Trigger and from what i can see, they seem to be like a more talented/more hardcore Sum 41. compare the voices of the singers and you'll know what i mean. No Trigger-Good.
I'm sorry Sir but you don't really know your punk rock if you compare no trigger with sum 41.
except they actually have something worth while to sing about outside of having a "fat lip."!
I love this song. I don't think it means anything other than "be punk" though haha.