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."
This is a time in my life
Where everything is falling apart
And at the same time
It's all coming together
Those summer days that I longed for
Never really were what I wanted them to be
Just like when beautiful people
Drive ugly cars just like when pretty people
Crash ugly cars i'm hitting the road again
With five of my best friends
We always seem to disagree
But I still enjoy their company
But I still enjoy their company
And when I'm here i'll make you a mixed tape
Those singers always know just what to say
My throat is already hurting
And it's not even the first day
The record sounds great but for some reason
I can't pull it off from day to day
This is the time in my life
Where everything is falling apart
And at the same time
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
This is the time in my life
Where everything is falling apart
And at the same time
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
Where everything is falling apart
And at the same time
It's all coming together
Those summer days that I longed for
Never really were what I wanted them to be
Just like when beautiful people
Drive ugly cars just like when pretty people
Crash ugly cars i'm hitting the road again
With five of my best friends
We always seem to disagree
But I still enjoy their company
But I still enjoy their company
And when I'm here i'll make you a mixed tape
Those singers always know just what to say
My throat is already hurting
And it's not even the first day
The record sounds great but for some reason
I can't pull it off from day to day
This is the time in my life
Where everything is falling apart
And at the same time
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
This is the time in my life
Where everything is falling apart
And at the same time
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
It's all coming together
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
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.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Where is this song at?
This is a cover on the CD (sold only at shows, but you can look online for it) called "Wire Tapes" that came out 10/3, I think. It's a bunch of cover songs Chris recorded. The original is by a band called Grade. Dashboard got me in to Grade...they are both amazing. This is one of my favorite songs by Grade and I'm so glad Chris covered it. He sounds great on it. :)
All of his covers are really great. I love this one and El Scorcho the most.
Good explanations so far.. to me this song speaks to the to the person who defines him/herself by their achievements. It's about someone who has thought that their worth could be measured only by how "well" they do in life. The author has obviously come to the realization that this can't be, that the struggle for perfection is in vain, and not worth the pain it brings to the individual. He doesn't think that striving for perfection is realistic. He wants to be able to connect with others and fears his desire for perfection will get in the way. If he continues on this path, he will become consumed by this desire and become detatched from his life and the people in it. He didn't realize how difficult this course would be and wishes that people would take him seriously when he expresses his pain. His journey to perfection has taken him to a place where he is alone and he has no joy. His mind is in turmoil trying to figure things out and his thoughts of giving up (possibly suicide?) are tempting him more an more. He feels as though nothing can release him of his misery, no one can rescue him from his feeling of inadequacy and detachment. These feelings are all he has. He deeply regrets starting on this quest for perfection and acknowledges it was the worst mistake he ever made. He knows that the pain and pressure will never end and questions if he really knew that to begin with.
Good explanations so far.. to me this song speaks to the to the person who defines him/herself by their achievements. It's about someone who has thought that their worth could be measured only by how "well" they do in life. The author has obviously come to the realization that this can't be, that the struggle for perfection is in vain, and not worth the pain it brings to the individual. He doesn't think that striving for perfection is realistic. He wants to be able to connect with others and fears his desire for perfection will get in the way. If he continues on this path, he will become consumed by this desire and become detatched from his life and the people in it. He didn't realize how difficult this course would be and wishes that people would take him seriously when he expresses his pain. His journey to perfection has taken him to a place where he is alone and he has no joy. His mind is in turmoil trying to figure things out and his thoughts of giving up (possibly suicide?) are tempting him more an more. He feels as though nothing can release him of his misery, no one can rescue him from his feeling of inadequacy and detachment. These feelings are all he has. He deeply regrets starting on this quest for perfection and acknowledges it was the worst mistake he ever made. He knows that the pain and pressure will never end and questions if he really knew that to begin with.
yeah..are you sure this is even dashboard ??