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."
Under your wheels, the hope of spring
Mirage of loss, a few more things
You left your sorrow dangling
It hangs in air like a school cheer
Complex notes inside the chords
On every wall inflections carved
Deep as lakes and dark as stars
Remember we were the volunteers
(Ooooh) Courts knew this and nothing more
(Ooooh) Now it's my rights versus yours
Under your wheels, your hopeless reign
You fall too hard?we're up too late
We hang suspended from the heights
Until it's safer to walk here
Under your wheels, your chance is with
The easy call, the called-off search
The medicine, it still won't work
But there's dangerous levels of it here
(Ooooh) Same thing as the other time
(Ooooh) But now it's your rights versus mine
The truth in one free afternoon
The truth in one free afternoon
Under my wheels the chance is held
Gave me to save me from myself
Spectacles painted with my shaking hand
Fingers in paints, in paints we brought
Thinking we'd leave them when we're not
Flying the flags of new empires in rags
The new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
A new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
A new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
A new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
Under your wheels, the fits and starts
The time to dabble in the arts
To tease the packs of dogs in charge
But kid it's always still me
Under your wheels, the hope of spring
Mirage of loss, a few more things
The medicine it still won't sing
But there's dangerous levels of it here
(Your rights over my rights now
We came to the right place
Your rights over my rights now
Your rights over my rights now
We came to the right place
Your rights over my rights now
Your rights over my rights now
Mirage of loss, a few more things
You left your sorrow dangling
It hangs in air like a school cheer
Complex notes inside the chords
On every wall inflections carved
Deep as lakes and dark as stars
Remember we were the volunteers
(Ooooh) Courts knew this and nothing more
(Ooooh) Now it's my rights versus yours
Under your wheels, your hopeless reign
You fall too hard?we're up too late
We hang suspended from the heights
Until it's safer to walk here
Under your wheels, your chance is with
The easy call, the called-off search
The medicine, it still won't work
But there's dangerous levels of it here
(Ooooh) Same thing as the other time
(Ooooh) But now it's your rights versus mine
The truth in one free afternoon
The truth in one free afternoon
Under my wheels the chance is held
Gave me to save me from myself
Spectacles painted with my shaking hand
Fingers in paints, in paints we brought
Thinking we'd leave them when we're not
Flying the flags of new empires in rags
The new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
A new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
A new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
A new empire in rags
The truth in one free afternoon
Under your wheels, the fits and starts
The time to dabble in the arts
To tease the packs of dogs in charge
But kid it's always still me
Under your wheels, the hope of spring
Mirage of loss, a few more things
The medicine it still won't sing
But there's dangerous levels of it here
(Your rights over my rights now
We came to the right place
Your rights over my rights now
Your rights over my rights now
We came to the right place
Your rights over my rights now
Your rights over my rights now
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
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.
In response to wrat: I actually kind of wondered if there was an RIAA meaning to it. Here's an interesting twist - Matador (and I think Mint) refuse to join the RIAA (Matador actually dropped out of the RIAA because it was hurting their business). There's also the fact that a year or so ago, a list was going around of Canadian artists who don't really care if you download their music because it means they're being listened too. TNP was on this list.
So given those two facts, it might very well be about the actions of the RIAA.