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."
Just a minute of your time
Yes I've been known to delude myself
So let me put those rose
Colored glasses to the test
Now is this real enough for you
Cause blonds here don't jump out of cakes
If that never impressed you much
Come board this lunatic express
Just why do they say
Have a nice day anyway
We both know they wouldn't mind
If I just curled up and died
Let's not give that one a try
Chin up put on a pair of these roseys
Raise those blinds
Chin up a happy mask was never
Your best disguise
Chin up put on a pair of these roseys
In no time you will feel almost fine
Almost rosey
Now some girls here will huddle with
No not footballers that are rich
But will confide in small white sticks
He bats as The Virginian Slim
Then I tried once to comply
With an authority that would
Subsidize my wild side
But at this altar was sacrificed
Yes you can laugh a femme fatale
In a bride's dress now married to
The effortlessness of the cracks
That lie now in between the facts
Now about when violet died
The cause still unidentified
She thought her love would be enough
But you can't seduce seduction
Her tentacles of endless want
Reach through my corridors
And tempt me to taste of her power
I sober with the witching hour
And when I hear of one more bomb
Yes we have all been robbed of song
And nightingales who throw their arms up
When is enough enough?
Yes I've been known to delude myself
So let me put those rose
Colored glasses to the test
Now is this real enough for you
Cause blonds here don't jump out of cakes
If that never impressed you much
Come board this lunatic express
Just why do they say
Have a nice day anyway
We both know they wouldn't mind
If I just curled up and died
Let's not give that one a try
Chin up put on a pair of these roseys
Raise those blinds
Chin up a happy mask was never
Your best disguise
Chin up put on a pair of these roseys
In no time you will feel almost fine
Almost rosey
Now some girls here will huddle with
No not footballers that are rich
But will confide in small white sticks
He bats as The Virginian Slim
Then I tried once to comply
With an authority that would
Subsidize my wild side
But at this altar was sacrificed
Yes you can laugh a femme fatale
In a bride's dress now married to
The effortlessness of the cracks
That lie now in between the facts
Now about when violet died
The cause still unidentified
She thought her love would be enough
But you can't seduce seduction
Her tentacles of endless want
Reach through my corridors
And tempt me to taste of her power
I sober with the witching hour
And when I hear of one more bomb
Yes we have all been robbed of song
And nightingales who throw their arms up
When is enough enough?
Lyrics submitted by stentorian
Almost Rosey Lyrics as written by Tori Ellen Amos
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is a very fast-paced song, and it's taken a couple of listens for me to absorb the lyrics. I'm still not completely sure about what it means but...
I think the underlying message is that once you accept life for what it is and start looking for and embracing the good things, life will be better for you. It won't be perfect, but it will be "amost fine, almost rosey."
I'm not sure about the bit with Violet and her "endless want...tempt[ing her] to taste of her power."
Anybody else have any ideas?
@starpatroller I think when she's referring to Violet, she's talking about her miscarriage. She refers to her elsewhere in her songs and also references flowers. [Example-In Playboy Mommy: "Somewhere where the orchids grow, I can't find those church bells that played when you died."] She talks about how the cause was identified, because they never identified what caused the miscarriage. There are also other references regarding how she thought her love and strength of would be strong enough to keep the pregnancy viable, but like she says in her song 'Honey', "When we died, I tried to bribe the undertaker." The same is true here: you "can't seduce seduction." You know - when something happens, it's going to go that way and you can't change or make it different. It happened. Another of life's many unexpected and unchangeable life events. So in this song, she's talking about how a lot of things can affect you on several levels. Culturally, globally, and in this particular verse regarding her miscarriage, very deeply and achingly personal pain and heartache. She is saying that you have two options: just let it hurt, or try to see the silver lining of things and do your best to go on with a positive, bit more optimistic approach. But she's realistic; she knows it's not perfect, and that life is tough - which is why she says you'll feel ALMOST fine, ALMOST rosey. And after all, isn't that the best anyone could really hope for?