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."
Well I say it's just smoke
So you say it's the hair of ghosts
So I say it's the white hair of Poseidon
Ebbing in the tide in some dead sea
So you say it's some Shroud of Turin
And the sun wore it white and the earth wore it thin
Or the sun wore it white and His faith wore it thin
Unraveling heavenward
It's saddled to tiny birds
Or other such winged things
Either way they are struggling
Either way they are miniature
Either way they're invisible
But either way they're confused
As Hell would have them
And the pattern of flight is chaotic and blind
But it's right cause chaos is yours and it's mine
And chaos is luck and like love and love blind
The pattern of flight is chaotic and blind
But it's right cause chaos is yours and chaos is mine mine mine mine
And chaos is love and they say love is blind
But they're subject to hating us
Oh, just like the rest of us
Oh, but just like the best of us
They need the rest of us to stay alive
So thats not where confusion lies
That's not where illusions to the fact that the truth is just smoke in your eyes
Does lie
Confusion lies in which other wicked things do lie with
Confusion lies in which other wicked things do lie with
And chaos is yours
And chaos is mine
And chaos is love and they say love is blind
So I say oh I see now it's just smoke
So I say oh I see now it's just smoke
Oh I say oh I see now it's just smoke
Oh I say oh I see now it's just smoke
So you say it's the hair of ghosts
So I say it's the white hair of Poseidon
Ebbing in the tide in some dead sea
So you say it's some Shroud of Turin
And the sun wore it white and the earth wore it thin
Or the sun wore it white and His faith wore it thin
Unraveling heavenward
It's saddled to tiny birds
Or other such winged things
Either way they are struggling
Either way they are miniature
Either way they're invisible
But either way they're confused
As Hell would have them
And the pattern of flight is chaotic and blind
But it's right cause chaos is yours and it's mine
And chaos is luck and like love and love blind
The pattern of flight is chaotic and blind
But it's right cause chaos is yours and chaos is mine mine mine mine
And chaos is love and they say love is blind
But they're subject to hating us
Oh, just like the rest of us
Oh, but just like the best of us
They need the rest of us to stay alive
So thats not where confusion lies
That's not where illusions to the fact that the truth is just smoke in your eyes
Does lie
Confusion lies in which other wicked things do lie with
Confusion lies in which other wicked things do lie with
And chaos is yours
And chaos is mine
And chaos is love and they say love is blind
So I say oh I see now it's just smoke
So I say oh I see now it's just smoke
Oh I say oh I see now it's just smoke
Oh I say oh I see now it's just smoke
Lyrics submitted by MaxpowerSupreme, edited by smileyoureontv
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... just going to put down the complete lyrics Spencer wrote...
I say it's just smoke So you say it's the hair of ghosts So I say it's the white hair of poseidon Ebbing in the tide in some dead sea So you say it's some Shroud of Turin And the sun wore it white and the earth wore it thin Or the son wore it white and his faith wore it thin
Unravelling heavenward - it's saddled to tiny birds Or other such winged things Either way they are struggling Either way they are miniature Either way they're invisible But either way they're confused as hell would have them And the pattern of flight is chaotic and blind But it's right because chaos is yours and it's mine And chaos is luck, and luck: love and love: blind (so) ba da da The pattern of flihgt is chaotic and blind But it's right cause chaos is yours And chaos is mine, mine, mine And chaos is love and they say "love is blind"
But they're subject to hating us, just like the rest of us But just like the best of us They need the rest of us to stay alive So that's not where confusion lies That's not where an allusion to the fact that the truth Is just smoke in your eyes does lie No Confusion lies in which other wicked thing to lie with And if chaos is yours then chaos is mine And chaos is love and they say "love is blind" So I say oh, I see now, it's just smoke...
The song's open for interpretation. I personally think that he's stating that truth is a matter of perspective and can... cloud an issue (the truth is just smoke in your eyes) so you can't see clearly. People are willing to argue and fight over something - the exact same thing - just because they think the single entity is different. So perhaps it is about God. Different religions and even different branches of the same religion are willing to go to hell and back to fight over something they actually agree about; but because they are not willing to see the other's perspective, they are blind to the fact it's the same damn thing. And we all need each-other, fights or not.