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."
Dear Diary:
Mood: Apathetic.
My life is spiralling downward.
I couldn't get enough money to go to the
Blood Red Romance and Suffocate me dry concert.
It sucks 'cause they play some of my favorite songs
like "Stab My Heart Because I Love You" and
"Rip Apart My Soul" and of course,
"Stabby Rip Stab Stab".
And it doesn't help that I couldn't
get my hair to do that flippy thing.
Like that guy from that band can do.
Some days you know...
'I'm an emo kid, non-conforming as can be
You'd be non-conforming too if
you looked just like me
I have paint on my nails and make-up on my face
I'm almost emo enough to start shaving my legs
'Cause I feel real deep when I'm dressing in drag
I call it freedom of expression,
most just call me a fag
'Cause our dudes look like chicks,
and our chicks look like dykes
'Cause emo is one step below transvestite!
Stop my breathing and slit my throat
I must be emo
I don't jump around when I go to shows
I must be emo
I'm dark, and sensitive with low self-esteem
The way I dress makes every day feel like Halloween
I have no real problems but I like to make believe
I stole my sister's mascara now
I'm grounded for a week.
Sulking and writing poetry are my hobbies
I can't get through a Hawthorne
Heights album without sobbing
Girls keep breaking up with me,
it's never any fun.
They say they already have a pussy,
they don't need another one
Stop my breathing and slit my throat
I must be emo
I don't jump around when I go to shows
I must be emo
Dye in my hair and polish on my toes
I must be emo
I play guitar and write suicide notes
I must be emo
My life is just a black abyss,
you know, it's so dark.
And it's suffocating me.
Grabbing hold of me and tightening its grip,
tighter than a pair of
my little sister's jeans...
which look great on me by the way.
When I get depressed I cut my
wrists in every direction
Hearing songs about getting
dumped give me an erection
I write in a live journal and
wear thick rimmed glasses
I tell my friends I bleed black
and cry during classes
I'm just a bad, cheap, imitation of goth,
You can read me "Catcher in the
Rye", and watch me jack off.
I wear skin tight clothes while hating my life
If I said I like girls, I'd only be half right!
I look like I'm dead and dress like a homo
I must be emo
Screw XBox, I play old school Nintendo
I must be emo
I like to whine and hit my parentals
I must be emo
Me and my friends all look like clones
I must be eemo
My parents just don't get me, you know.
They think I'm gay just because
they saw me kiss a guy.
Well, a couple guys. But I mean, it's the 2000s.
Can't 2 ... or 4 dudes make-out with
each other without being gay?
I mean, chicks dig that kind of thing anyways.
I don't know diary,
sometimes I think you're the only one that gets me,
you're my best friend...
I feel like tacos.
Mood: Apathetic.
My life is spiralling downward.
I couldn't get enough money to go to the
Blood Red Romance and Suffocate me dry concert.
It sucks 'cause they play some of my favorite songs
like "Stab My Heart Because I Love You" and
"Rip Apart My Soul" and of course,
"Stabby Rip Stab Stab".
And it doesn't help that I couldn't
get my hair to do that flippy thing.
Like that guy from that band can do.
Some days you know...
'I'm an emo kid, non-conforming as can be
You'd be non-conforming too if
you looked just like me
I have paint on my nails and make-up on my face
I'm almost emo enough to start shaving my legs
'Cause I feel real deep when I'm dressing in drag
I call it freedom of expression,
most just call me a fag
'Cause our dudes look like chicks,
and our chicks look like dykes
'Cause emo is one step below transvestite!
Stop my breathing and slit my throat
I must be emo
I don't jump around when I go to shows
I must be emo
I'm dark, and sensitive with low self-esteem
The way I dress makes every day feel like Halloween
I have no real problems but I like to make believe
I stole my sister's mascara now
I'm grounded for a week.
Sulking and writing poetry are my hobbies
I can't get through a Hawthorne
Heights album without sobbing
Girls keep breaking up with me,
it's never any fun.
They say they already have a pussy,
they don't need another one
Stop my breathing and slit my throat
I must be emo
I don't jump around when I go to shows
I must be emo
Dye in my hair and polish on my toes
I must be emo
I play guitar and write suicide notes
I must be emo
My life is just a black abyss,
you know, it's so dark.
And it's suffocating me.
Grabbing hold of me and tightening its grip,
tighter than a pair of
my little sister's jeans...
which look great on me by the way.
When I get depressed I cut my
wrists in every direction
Hearing songs about getting
dumped give me an erection
I write in a live journal and
wear thick rimmed glasses
I tell my friends I bleed black
and cry during classes
I'm just a bad, cheap, imitation of goth,
You can read me "Catcher in the
Rye", and watch me jack off.
I wear skin tight clothes while hating my life
If I said I like girls, I'd only be half right!
I look like I'm dead and dress like a homo
I must be emo
Screw XBox, I play old school Nintendo
I must be emo
I like to whine and hit my parentals
I must be emo
Me and my friends all look like clones
I must be eemo
My parents just don't get me, you know.
They think I'm gay just because
they saw me kiss a guy.
Well, a couple guys. But I mean, it's the 2000s.
Can't 2 ... or 4 dudes make-out with
each other without being gay?
I mean, chicks dig that kind of thing anyways.
I don't know diary,
sometimes I think you're the only one that gets me,
you're my best friend...
I feel like tacos.
Lyrics submitted by Foxwing
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Thank you. Someone finally got it right.