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."
A lot of times it seems like, you ain't gon' make it where you wanna be in life
But, yo if you got a plan, believe me you gon' get there
You gon' get everything you ever wanted baby
That's my word
Trust, my niggas come home from long bids
They check for me before they see their own kids
I open up accounts for 'em, we bounce tourin'
Major cities, arenas, headline with big time singers
Cop Ferrari's with navigational screens
Guide us through your hood and any locality, head back to Queens
Piped out seats, Oakwood MB cord speakers
Bumpin' out old shit
That made me think of Old Easters '86 in a Le Tigre short sleeves
Lees, flip the cuffs up, gettin' fucked up
From Old E, Fresh Fest, niggas got hurt
100 niggas rush the door with Queensbridge tournament shirts
Back then, nobody wore a vest
Pull out razors, you had to put your hand skills to the test
Get your Pumas took, come home barefoot willin'
Look at the chain, I snatched with a medallion worth a thousand
Cops rushed the garden made it home smilin'
Half of the crew probably on the island
Project call play puff ball the hoop was made out of a hanger
Playin' corners stick the elevator never thought
Project life was promised nothin' but to die trife
For steppin' on the next man's Nikes, my motto look for tomorrow
Today is yesterday look at the hood now, I'm mad that it turned out that way
Gats spray these shorties is killers
The older G's taught us well, what's wild now is that they're smaller
And they look at me like I'm on the outside lookin' in
Like 'who's you' when I cruise through
I call shorty took him in watch your friends, get ends
Be clever, realize that today's the first day that begins forever
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever you know
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Nice cars, livin' like a star club hoppin'
Poppin' bottles at the bar love shoppin'
Gucci, Iceberg, coppin' two, three nice furs
One for your wife, one for your freak silver spurs
Rolls Royce too good to be true, houses worth 2.2
Pool parties beautiful view
You made it in life, Forbes Magazine style baggy jeans style
Pass the green while hoes wit' meanwhile
Asses, pretty mommies illest bodies pass glasses
Louis Roderra with Peach Schnapps you just relaxin'
Thinkin', "Damn, wish my niggas could afford this"
On the sand at your Malibu house holdin' a cordless
Talkin' to lawyers accountants investments
Money doubles, triples protected hard work you manifested
Worries of failure, when you buried with your familia
Keep your name prosperin' to the maximum
You should live, there's only one life that's the physical
Rich or poor in jail why the fuck should you be miserable
Things happen for reasons, the clock keeps tickin'
Love could have your heart beat skippin', thugs turn to religion
The bitch you love could start to hate you
The shit you use to do escape you
Things that make you laugh represent the past
Reminisce the block gamble gees on the floor
Niggas use to be the man, you don't see 'em no more
Your favorite restaurants and favorite stores, they tore 'em down
Turned 'em into shopping malls the hood is like a ghost town
Haunted by souls who thought that time stood still
Just live your life to the fullest, never look back, it's real
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever you know
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Ya know, ya know, nothin' lasts forever ya know
Let it go, let it go
But, yo if you got a plan, believe me you gon' get there
You gon' get everything you ever wanted baby
That's my word
Trust, my niggas come home from long bids
They check for me before they see their own kids
I open up accounts for 'em, we bounce tourin'
Major cities, arenas, headline with big time singers
Cop Ferrari's with navigational screens
Guide us through your hood and any locality, head back to Queens
Piped out seats, Oakwood MB cord speakers
Bumpin' out old shit
That made me think of Old Easters '86 in a Le Tigre short sleeves
Lees, flip the cuffs up, gettin' fucked up
From Old E, Fresh Fest, niggas got hurt
100 niggas rush the door with Queensbridge tournament shirts
Back then, nobody wore a vest
Pull out razors, you had to put your hand skills to the test
Get your Pumas took, come home barefoot willin'
Look at the chain, I snatched with a medallion worth a thousand
Cops rushed the garden made it home smilin'
Half of the crew probably on the island
Project call play puff ball the hoop was made out of a hanger
Playin' corners stick the elevator never thought
Project life was promised nothin' but to die trife
For steppin' on the next man's Nikes, my motto look for tomorrow
Today is yesterday look at the hood now, I'm mad that it turned out that way
Gats spray these shorties is killers
The older G's taught us well, what's wild now is that they're smaller
And they look at me like I'm on the outside lookin' in
Like 'who's you' when I cruise through
I call shorty took him in watch your friends, get ends
Be clever, realize that today's the first day that begins forever
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever you know
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Nice cars, livin' like a star club hoppin'
Poppin' bottles at the bar love shoppin'
Gucci, Iceberg, coppin' two, three nice furs
One for your wife, one for your freak silver spurs
Rolls Royce too good to be true, houses worth 2.2
Pool parties beautiful view
You made it in life, Forbes Magazine style baggy jeans style
Pass the green while hoes wit' meanwhile
Asses, pretty mommies illest bodies pass glasses
Louis Roderra with Peach Schnapps you just relaxin'
Thinkin', "Damn, wish my niggas could afford this"
On the sand at your Malibu house holdin' a cordless
Talkin' to lawyers accountants investments
Money doubles, triples protected hard work you manifested
Worries of failure, when you buried with your familia
Keep your name prosperin' to the maximum
You should live, there's only one life that's the physical
Rich or poor in jail why the fuck should you be miserable
Things happen for reasons, the clock keeps tickin'
Love could have your heart beat skippin', thugs turn to religion
The bitch you love could start to hate you
The shit you use to do escape you
Things that make you laugh represent the past
Reminisce the block gamble gees on the floor
Niggas use to be the man, you don't see 'em no more
Your favorite restaurants and favorite stores, they tore 'em down
Turned 'em into shopping malls the hood is like a ghost town
Haunted by souls who thought that time stood still
Just live your life to the fullest, never look back, it's real
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever you know
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Ya know, ya know, nothin' lasts forever ya know
Let it go, let it go
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