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."
You talk about life, you talk about death
And everything in between
Like it's nothing and the words are easy
You talk about me, you talk about you
And everything I do
Like it's somethin' that needs repeating
I don't need an alibi
For you to realize
The things we left unsaid
Are only taking space up in our heads
Make it my fault, win the game
Point the finger, place the blame
And toss me up and down
Doesn't matter now
'Cause I don't care if I ever talk to you again
This is not about emotion
I don't need a reason not to care
What you say, or what happened in the end
This is my interpretation
And it don't, don't make sense
The first two weeks turn into ten
I hold my breath and wonder when it'll happen
It doesn't really matter
If half of what you said is true
And half of what I didn't do could be different
Would it make you better?
If we forget the things we know
Would we have somewhere to go?
The only way is down
I can see that now
'Cause I don't care if I ever talk to you again
This is not about emotion
I don't need a reason not to care
What you say, or what happened in the end
This is my interpretation
And it don't, don't make sense
Is splitting up such a sacrifice?
If I every talk to again
This is not about emotion
I don't need a reason not to care
What you say, or what happened in the end
This is my interpretation
And it don't, don't make sense
And it don't have to make no sense to you at all
'Cause this is my interpretation
And everything in between
Like it's nothing and the words are easy
You talk about me, you talk about you
And everything I do
Like it's somethin' that needs repeating
I don't need an alibi
For you to realize
The things we left unsaid
Are only taking space up in our heads
Make it my fault, win the game
Point the finger, place the blame
And toss me up and down
Doesn't matter now
'Cause I don't care if I ever talk to you again
This is not about emotion
I don't need a reason not to care
What you say, or what happened in the end
This is my interpretation
And it don't, don't make sense
The first two weeks turn into ten
I hold my breath and wonder when it'll happen
It doesn't really matter
If half of what you said is true
And half of what I didn't do could be different
Would it make you better?
If we forget the things we know
Would we have somewhere to go?
The only way is down
I can see that now
'Cause I don't care if I ever talk to you again
This is not about emotion
I don't need a reason not to care
What you say, or what happened in the end
This is my interpretation
And it don't, don't make sense
Is splitting up such a sacrifice?
If I every talk to again
This is not about emotion
I don't need a reason not to care
What you say, or what happened in the end
This is my interpretation
And it don't, don't make sense
And it don't have to make no sense to you at all
'Cause this is my interpretation
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
this song... ...just points out all my stoopid faults
cheers MIKA! in a non mean way! ...i needed that, the clingy moron that i am