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."
The only cribs that we should care for
Are the ones that we are here for
The ones belonging to our children
That do that we do, scar from our wounds
The only cribs that make a difference
Where the magic really happens
Don't come with a Mercedes Benz
Or a wide screen showing nothing
Showing nothing...
I'm sick of home control devices
Sick of sickening home designers
Sick of drugs and gold and strip poles
Sick of homies, sick of poses
Despite the nodding staff that serves you
Despite your name on clothes and perfume
Despite the way the press observes you
You're just people...
Successful people
Dressed up people
Smiling people
Famous people
Red carpet people
Wealthy people
Important people
But still just people
So fuck the million dollar kitchen
Fuck the Al Pacino posters
Fuck the drugs, the gold, the strip poles
Fuck the homies, fuck the poses
Fuck the walls they build around them
Fuck the bedroom magic nonsense
I don't want to hear their voices
As long as they vote with their wallets
Fuck the silly "throw you out" joke
Fuck the framed cigar DeNiro smoked
Fuck their lack of originality and personality
Fuck this travesty
Fuck this new norm
Fuck conformity
Fuck their Kristal
Fuck their sordity
Fuck the way they fuck equality
Fuck their freebie gear
Fuck the ones they wear
You're just people...
Successful people
Dressed up people
Smiling people
Famous people
Red carpet people
Wealthy people
Important people
But still just people
Messed up people
Shallow people
Stupid people
Plastic people
Meta people
Theta people
Therapyople
Entropiople
Oh, fuck the ones they wear
I'm cribcaged
Cribcaged
The only cribs that we should care for
Are the ones that we are here for
The ones belonging to our children
That do what we do, scar from our wounds
Are the ones that we are here for
The ones belonging to our children
That do that we do, scar from our wounds
The only cribs that make a difference
Where the magic really happens
Don't come with a Mercedes Benz
Or a wide screen showing nothing
Showing nothing...
I'm sick of home control devices
Sick of sickening home designers
Sick of drugs and gold and strip poles
Sick of homies, sick of poses
Despite the nodding staff that serves you
Despite your name on clothes and perfume
Despite the way the press observes you
You're just people...
Successful people
Dressed up people
Smiling people
Famous people
Red carpet people
Wealthy people
Important people
But still just people
So fuck the million dollar kitchen
Fuck the Al Pacino posters
Fuck the drugs, the gold, the strip poles
Fuck the homies, fuck the poses
Fuck the walls they build around them
Fuck the bedroom magic nonsense
I don't want to hear their voices
As long as they vote with their wallets
Fuck the silly "throw you out" joke
Fuck the framed cigar DeNiro smoked
Fuck their lack of originality and personality
Fuck this travesty
Fuck this new norm
Fuck conformity
Fuck their Kristal
Fuck their sordity
Fuck the way they fuck equality
Fuck their freebie gear
Fuck the ones they wear
You're just people...
Successful people
Dressed up people
Smiling people
Famous people
Red carpet people
Wealthy people
Important people
But still just people
Messed up people
Shallow people
Stupid people
Plastic people
Meta people
Theta people
Therapyople
Entropiople
Oh, fuck the ones they wear
I'm cribcaged
Cribcaged
The only cribs that we should care for
Are the ones that we are here for
The ones belonging to our children
That do what we do, scar from our wounds
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Newt nailed it. People are too busy obsessing over idols, be it humans, items, or ideas, without thinking of future generations, not even their own kids.
I also loved the tiny shout-out to their own earlier album. "Entro-people" is a reminder of the road that this band went thru to get to their level of public respect allowing them to attack the idols so directly.