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."
I woke under cover of darkness
Looked up into the television sky
Tonight
I wandered through the city alone this
Rain wouldn't stop I couldn't dry my eyes
I cried
Who is the one to blame
Why is it that you never say
When the feeling leaves
If you're through with me
As I'm walking through the rain
Cold tears falling down my face
Like the autumn leaves
On a windy day
I went out to the edge of town
Over bright highways where the traffic was the only sound
Around
While my eyes were looking at the ground
I could see pictures of you floating all around
I didn't doubt
Looked up into the television sky
Tonight
I wandered through the city alone this
Rain wouldn't stop I couldn't dry my eyes
I cried
Who is the one to blame
Why is it that you never say
When the feeling leaves
If you're through with me
As I'm walking through the rain
Cold tears falling down my face
Like the autumn leaves
On a windy day
I went out to the edge of town
Over bright highways where the traffic was the only sound
Around
While my eyes were looking at the ground
I could see pictures of you floating all around
I didn't doubt
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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,
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Easily one of my favorite songs of all time. When I hear this song, I can feel the emotion well beyond the lyrics, which are rather simple. The simplicity of the lyrics, in my opinion, has an intensifying effect.
It's about loneliness, and beyond that it is indescribable- when you hear it, you get it.
ATB is the best, and this is one of his best. So emotive!
Beautiful
Kind of an "post-relationship" reflection king of thing I think is going on here (as shown by "if you're through with me" and "cold tears falling down my face like the autumn leaves on a windy day"). The "who is to blame" is also another reflection of the relationship and maybe wondering why it failed.
Anyway, it's just a beautiful song that employs a lot of imagery.
a few corrections:
I WOKE UNDER COVER of darkness
when THE feeling leaves
cold tears FALLING down my face
Over BRIGHT highways where the traffic was the only sound around While my eyes WERE looking at the ground
a beautiful song.
such a beautiful vivid song i cant even describe when i fell in love with this song, its so mystical, the chorus is simple but gets the point of feeling alone, and not really knowing what to do when you've come in to conflict that seems like it can never be fixed.
If you like this song i recommend "Wait For Your Heart" by ATB with Roberta on the same album, the instrumentals are alot alike.
RIP Michal The Girl, the singer of this song. She died quite a while ago. RIP :(
Truly one of the greatest female voices ever!