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."
Slow motion, baby
Tell you what I see through these eyes
All we do is speak the truth, yeah
Shit is realla then real, yeah
Shit is realla then real, ain't it?
My true niggas walk wit me, yeah
They ride wit me
Would you cook pies wit me now, ya heard?
Lord, I keep hollerin', I hope You listenin'
How come I'm still stressed an' even though the squad's glistenin'?
Why You had to take Pun, someone so young?
Had so much more to live for, as real as they come
Dead man can't talk
That's why You're hearin' one side of the story
But did they tell You how he provided for forty?
Family members, grandmas to shorties
Even my seeds ate off the big homie
How could You deceive Your kids like that
Make 'em believe they dad wasn't worth jack?
Listen to the facts as The Don pours his heart on this track
How could I just stand there an' not react?
An' I'm just about sick of all you sideline niggas
You know, do anythin' for the limelight niggas
I'm defendin' your honor, my brother from anotha Momma
I never thought I'd see the day they tried to send you [Incomprehensible]
Shit is realla then you think, man, you must not know
It takes a lot to walk a day in the life of Fat Joe
The place I'm from, MTV don't wanna film
Just a simple dice game will get a muthafucka killed
The ghetto ain't a place that you wanna take lightly
Same cat that'll spill you an' end up with your wifey
I've seen it all, that's why I've picked up the pen
To keep your boy from servin' life in the pen, ya heard?
Fuck the flu season, nowadays it's sue season
Can't even go to the clubs an' show my people love
'Coz soon as shit pop off an' niggas knuckle love
Niggas accusin' me of fuckin' 'em up
I'm like, "Hold up, ain't they supposed to be dogs?"
Part time live niggas, dabbelin' drugs
See a rapper think of a lucrative deal
But you'se a bitch if you choosin' to squeal
It's more than obvious, you don't know a thing about honor
But what goes around comes around, you'll soon learn about karma
As for me I stay being the realest
Admired by politicians, street thugs an' killers
I keep feedin' the street but the street feed back
Is that police tryna see Joe back in green slacks?
But never dat, see, I keep long money
An' if you lookin' for dat
You'll never see a cent from me, muthafucker
Shit is realla then you think, man, you must not know
It takes a lot to walk a day in the life of Fat Joe
The place I'm from, MTV don't wanna film
Just a simple dice game will get a muthafucka killed
The ghetto ain't a place that you wanna take lightly
Same cat that'll spill you an' end up with your wifey
I've seen it all, that's why I've picked up the pen
To keep your boy from servin' life in the pen, ya heard?
Yo, I stay grindin', everybody counted me out
Now I'm rewindin' in my summer beach house
If I'm not in the studio, I'm out on tour
Bustin' my ass to make my fans' future secure
Nowadays everybody want somethin' for nothin'
All of a sudden niggas talkin' like, "Joey be frontin'"
The hood screamin', “Crack done changed, he don't holla”
I know now Big, 'Mo Money Mo Problems'
Jealousy's a muthafucka
Who'd a thought the same niggas you be feedin'
Be the muthafuckaz comin' for ya?
I'm not stressin', I was born a warrior
Plus I'm too big, too wise, too strong for ya
When it's all said an' done, I follow my dreams
Could have ended up dead or in jail given the scheme of things
To let you know I'm the reason you still walkin'
If I said somethin' it was me, not the liquor talkin', muthafucka
Shit is realla then you think, man, you must not know
It takes a lot to walk a day in the life of Fat Joe
The place I'm from, MTV don't wanna film
Just a simple dice game will get a muthafucka killed
The ghetto ain't a place that you wanna take lightly
Same cat that'll spill you an' end up with your wifey
I've seen it all, that's why I've picked up the pen
To keep your boy from servin' life in the pen, ya heard?
Tell you what I see through these eyes
All we do is speak the truth, yeah
Shit is realla then real, yeah
Shit is realla then real, ain't it?
My true niggas walk wit me, yeah
They ride wit me
Would you cook pies wit me now, ya heard?
Lord, I keep hollerin', I hope You listenin'
How come I'm still stressed an' even though the squad's glistenin'?
Why You had to take Pun, someone so young?
Had so much more to live for, as real as they come
Dead man can't talk
That's why You're hearin' one side of the story
But did they tell You how he provided for forty?
Family members, grandmas to shorties
Even my seeds ate off the big homie
How could You deceive Your kids like that
Make 'em believe they dad wasn't worth jack?
Listen to the facts as The Don pours his heart on this track
How could I just stand there an' not react?
An' I'm just about sick of all you sideline niggas
You know, do anythin' for the limelight niggas
I'm defendin' your honor, my brother from anotha Momma
I never thought I'd see the day they tried to send you [Incomprehensible]
Shit is realla then you think, man, you must not know
It takes a lot to walk a day in the life of Fat Joe
The place I'm from, MTV don't wanna film
Just a simple dice game will get a muthafucka killed
The ghetto ain't a place that you wanna take lightly
Same cat that'll spill you an' end up with your wifey
I've seen it all, that's why I've picked up the pen
To keep your boy from servin' life in the pen, ya heard?
Fuck the flu season, nowadays it's sue season
Can't even go to the clubs an' show my people love
'Coz soon as shit pop off an' niggas knuckle love
Niggas accusin' me of fuckin' 'em up
I'm like, "Hold up, ain't they supposed to be dogs?"
Part time live niggas, dabbelin' drugs
See a rapper think of a lucrative deal
But you'se a bitch if you choosin' to squeal
It's more than obvious, you don't know a thing about honor
But what goes around comes around, you'll soon learn about karma
As for me I stay being the realest
Admired by politicians, street thugs an' killers
I keep feedin' the street but the street feed back
Is that police tryna see Joe back in green slacks?
But never dat, see, I keep long money
An' if you lookin' for dat
You'll never see a cent from me, muthafucker
Shit is realla then you think, man, you must not know
It takes a lot to walk a day in the life of Fat Joe
The place I'm from, MTV don't wanna film
Just a simple dice game will get a muthafucka killed
The ghetto ain't a place that you wanna take lightly
Same cat that'll spill you an' end up with your wifey
I've seen it all, that's why I've picked up the pen
To keep your boy from servin' life in the pen, ya heard?
Yo, I stay grindin', everybody counted me out
Now I'm rewindin' in my summer beach house
If I'm not in the studio, I'm out on tour
Bustin' my ass to make my fans' future secure
Nowadays everybody want somethin' for nothin'
All of a sudden niggas talkin' like, "Joey be frontin'"
The hood screamin', “Crack done changed, he don't holla”
I know now Big, 'Mo Money Mo Problems'
Jealousy's a muthafucka
Who'd a thought the same niggas you be feedin'
Be the muthafuckaz comin' for ya?
I'm not stressin', I was born a warrior
Plus I'm too big, too wise, too strong for ya
When it's all said an' done, I follow my dreams
Could have ended up dead or in jail given the scheme of things
To let you know I'm the reason you still walkin'
If I said somethin' it was me, not the liquor talkin', muthafucka
Shit is realla then you think, man, you must not know
It takes a lot to walk a day in the life of Fat Joe
The place I'm from, MTV don't wanna film
Just a simple dice game will get a muthafucka killed
The ghetto ain't a place that you wanna take lightly
Same cat that'll spill you an' end up with your wifey
I've seen it all, that's why I've picked up the pen
To keep your boy from servin' life in the pen, ya heard?
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
Shit Is Real, Pt. III Lyrics as written by Sheldon Harris Joseph Cartagena
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.