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."
Take me away yeah!
That's enough of all your taunting
Seems I can't remove you from my mind
Don't you know that sometimes
I wish they'd kill me for wanting you
I will sit alone in silence
Can't allow the meaning I can find
Will you be defeated when they
Kill me for wanting you
I can't believe that my sanity
Lies in abandoning you
I can't recall the helpless times
I've been betrayed by you
Sickened from wanting you
Frightened of finding the truth
Don't say anymore
Now my mind isn't changing
This reckoning's long overdue
All past the walls around me
In the prison of my own design
Will I win my freedom if they
Kill me for wanting you
Maybe the arms of Hell will hound me
Just as long as I remain confined
I will be completed when they
Kill me for wanting you
I can't believe that my sanity
Lies in abandoning you
I can't recall the helpless times
I've been betrayed by you
Sickened from wanting you
Frightened of finding the truth
Don't say anymore
Now my mind isn't changing
This reckoning's long overdue
So I have determined I am undone
Will I bury another problem
In the graveyard you allowed me to find
So I have determined I am no one
When I finally cling to something
And it's never been tied to
Every single memory of you
Sickened from wanting you
Frightened of finding the truth
Don't say anymore
Now my mind isn't changing
This reckoning's long overdue
So I have determined I am undone
Will I bury another problem
In the graveyard you allowed me to find
That's enough of all your taunting
Seems I can't remove you from my mind
Don't you know that sometimes
I wish they'd kill me for wanting you
I will sit alone in silence
Can't allow the meaning I can find
Will you be defeated when they
Kill me for wanting you
I can't believe that my sanity
Lies in abandoning you
I can't recall the helpless times
I've been betrayed by you
Sickened from wanting you
Frightened of finding the truth
Don't say anymore
Now my mind isn't changing
This reckoning's long overdue
All past the walls around me
In the prison of my own design
Will I win my freedom if they
Kill me for wanting you
Maybe the arms of Hell will hound me
Just as long as I remain confined
I will be completed when they
Kill me for wanting you
I can't believe that my sanity
Lies in abandoning you
I can't recall the helpless times
I've been betrayed by you
Sickened from wanting you
Frightened of finding the truth
Don't say anymore
Now my mind isn't changing
This reckoning's long overdue
So I have determined I am undone
Will I bury another problem
In the graveyard you allowed me to find
So I have determined I am no one
When I finally cling to something
And it's never been tied to
Every single memory of you
Sickened from wanting you
Frightened of finding the truth
Don't say anymore
Now my mind isn't changing
This reckoning's long overdue
So I have determined I am undone
Will I bury another problem
In the graveyard you allowed me to find
Lyrics submitted by Cactus Fn Chris
Sickened Lyrics as written by David Draiman Dan Donegan
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
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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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
All-time favorite Disturbed song, it's similar to others written by Draiman, especially Stricken (they're from the same album anyway) I've always loved the lyrics, to me personally it feels like he is in an abusive relationship where the other person is always hurting him and leaving him then coming back, yet he is keen on being with them and loves them sincerely, albeit in a 'sick' twisted way. He also feels as though he is being persecuted by those around him because they don't approve of his form of love. He thinks overcoming obstacles or even dying for his lover would be a beautiful form of affection, but they were never sincere about him and don't really care about that stuff. Everything I just said was probably way off the mark but I think the lyrics are really beautiful and romantic when I think of it that way. The idea of denying the truth and deluding yourself with thoughts of true love when you're actually in an abusive relationship and you're all alone --- that's really deep.