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 stars and a moon
Aren't where they're supposed to be
For the strange electric light
It falls so close to me
Love, I come to ride
High on that seasick rolling wave
And you know that I am
Just trying to get out
Oh the glorious sound
Oh the one way street
But you can't get
Can't get it down without crying
When I'm dressed in white
Send roses to me
I drink so much sour whiskey I can't hardly see
And everywhere I've been
There's a well that howls my name
From the one tiny sting
To that vacant fame
Oh the deafening roar
Remember that's called a one way street
And you can't get
Can't get it down without crying
Mystery's a sigh
You can't get out
In a psychotropic light, you can't get out
Love, I come to ride
High on that seasick rolling wave
That's the way that I fall, trying to get out
Oh the glorious sound
Of the one way street
And you can't get
Can't get it down without crying
Oh the deafening roar
It's called a one way street
Aren't where they're supposed to be
For the strange electric light
It falls so close to me
Love, I come to ride
High on that seasick rolling wave
And you know that I am
Just trying to get out
Oh the glorious sound
Oh the one way street
But you can't get
Can't get it down without crying
When I'm dressed in white
Send roses to me
I drink so much sour whiskey I can't hardly see
And everywhere I've been
There's a well that howls my name
From the one tiny sting
To that vacant fame
Oh the deafening roar
Remember that's called a one way street
And you can't get
Can't get it down without crying
Mystery's a sigh
You can't get out
In a psychotropic light, you can't get out
Love, I come to ride
High on that seasick rolling wave
That's the way that I fall, trying to get out
Oh the glorious sound
Of the one way street
And you can't get
Can't get it down without crying
Oh the deafening roar
It's called a one way street
Lyrics submitted by quarantined
One Way Street Lyrics as written by Mark Lanegan
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
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/
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.
I take this to be about trying to live a better life but finding destructive habits impossible to let go of. I think the 'glorious sound of the one way street' is a reference to how easy it is to give in to temptation but how that route leads only to downfall.
This line confuses me though:
"Can't get it down without crying"
but I kind of like lines like that, which don't bother to explain too much.
I agree with Esmeralda.
"Can't get it down without cryin" - i take this to mean you can't really go through life without shedding a tear for something/someone.
Hey everyone! Maybe the thing I write will be insane,yet I daresay this song is about the whole lifetime.And during the lifetime some periods go so utterly wrong, that "The stars and the moon aren't where they're supposed to be".It can be absolutely everything-drug addiction , breakup with your beloved person,some kind of accident, and you Can't get it down without crying in order to forget it.And it goes only in one way-there's no recipe how to return all that happened and it won't be invented at all.
"Oh the glorious sound Oh the one way street", and then-
"Oh the deafening roar Remember that's called a one way street- I believe that's about thiongs that seemed to be all right to the person until he\she realizes that it's not quite cool,yet you can't turn around and leave whenever you want,'cause there's no turning sideways or back on One Way Street called Life....
"From that one tiny sting / To that vacant flame"
That reminds me of shooting heroin. A "tiny sting" that leads to a "vacant flame": it feels powerful and even exciting, or at least it brings you peace, but it doesn't really mean anything, it's doing you harm.
The "Everywhere I've been..." line is so haunting.
As some people have already said, I agree that this song about temptations and self destructive habits. I'm pretty sure I can explain the line '"Cant get it down without crying" I see that as a reference to self destructive sexual habits - In a world full of temptations you cant get it down without crying - He's talking about his dick.
So is crying a really melodramatic way of saying he forces an orgasm just to stop his hard on?
This is a song I think a lot of people would feel is boring on first listen, but I have been getting more into it recently. I just cannot describe why I enjoy listening to it but possibly others do that comment on it for whatever reason "Can't get it down without crying"- taking medicine food when your sick or anything that you must consume literally or metaphorically brings you to enough pain that it is unbearable. Or Possibly killing something that is necessary to do.
When the wave go down and come WILD COLD Turkey you cry searchin' a vein, searchin' the money, searchin' yourself under that unbearable pain... if you ar very strong you manage to not cause suffer more than needed... you work night and day not taking a granny handbag.... The Powerful Wave come to you night time even many years later... stating that you have NO win even sober and abstinent...you have lost. your mouth stink of ethere the desire is 100 times more strong than The Sharon Stone's Upskirt of Basic Instict.