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."
Coming in from all angles
Coming in from all angles
Coming in from all angles
Coming in from all angles
The ringleader, blatant liar
Spit, ether, razor wire
Dig deep, at the fossil spit
Pocket prodding, good and lying
With the eyes wired shut
Wired sky stuffed, comprised of height
And kite fly fluff
AKA cloud poop,
I allow you to arouse mood
Magic action, wow, poof
Gone with the wind
Resting against the breeze
Releasing a chest of bree
Ecstasy, sex, kept it brief
Rapid like phone cords
Slow swords, stabbed in both forks
It's froze gawk
I'm nose whoring, oh so bored
Iron in the surf
Violent swings at words
Diet drinks and turds
I still wink at nerds
I see them flirt with razor blades
And paper shade
Don't waste away
Your shapes amaze
The blaze of babes
Paper chase
Flakes of fake chafe
Nape, plates of bait
More punk than punctual
But less than a lesson
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
Bathing and blistered
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
Wrong, right
Yes, no
What, why?
Head, toe
When all I wanna do is run
When all I wanna do is run
When all I wanna do is run
When all I wanna do is run
Ahhhh
Pretty colours, mish-mashed to pitch black
Sit back, watch the wind stack
Rosy cheeks, his cosy seat
Slowly reeks of dead roses
And only speak in Mozambique
Disoriented, worried and jaded
The cologen agent, orange arrangement
What if the ages got locked in the pavement?
Cobbled stone smoke rings
Hovelled hope choke string
God'll know those things
Are chocolate coated clothing
Twink, ginger glasses
Are when distance passes
Sinking harvest brings to a new cheap bastard
Rich lipstick glass
Sarcastic asses
Return to sender
A give them a Fender
A Gibson tremenda
Decision for mender
Division, death as an instrument
Tentative legs and with
Pencilled in for excellent length and width
Capacity, atrophy, wrapped in cheap
Black, tacky treats, hot
Captain Beef, captured dreams
The mind-body dualist
Blew a kiss, with eucalyptus puke and piss
Corrode a breath and soaked, forget
To blow the (?) stench
Poke and pest the folks and let
Ropes rope and choke
The broken neck of the chosenesque
Wrong, right
Yes, no
(When all I wanna do...)
What, why?
Head, toe
When all I wanna do is run
More punk than punctual
But less than a lesson
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
Bathing and blistered
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
(From all angles)
Bathing and blistered
(Coming in)
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
(When all is said and done)
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
(When all is said and done)
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
(From all angles)
Bathing and blistered
(Coming in)
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
(When all is said and done)
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
(When all is said and done)
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
(From all angles)
Bathing and blistered
(Coming in)
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
(When all is said and done)
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
(When all is said and done)
Coming in from all angles
Coming in from all angles
Coming in from all angles
The ringleader, blatant liar
Spit, ether, razor wire
Dig deep, at the fossil spit
Pocket prodding, good and lying
With the eyes wired shut
Wired sky stuffed, comprised of height
And kite fly fluff
AKA cloud poop,
I allow you to arouse mood
Magic action, wow, poof
Gone with the wind
Resting against the breeze
Releasing a chest of bree
Ecstasy, sex, kept it brief
Rapid like phone cords
Slow swords, stabbed in both forks
It's froze gawk
I'm nose whoring, oh so bored
Iron in the surf
Violent swings at words
Diet drinks and turds
I still wink at nerds
I see them flirt with razor blades
And paper shade
Don't waste away
Your shapes amaze
The blaze of babes
Paper chase
Flakes of fake chafe
Nape, plates of bait
More punk than punctual
But less than a lesson
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
Bathing and blistered
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
Wrong, right
Yes, no
What, why?
Head, toe
When all I wanna do is run
When all I wanna do is run
When all I wanna do is run
When all I wanna do is run
Ahhhh
Pretty colours, mish-mashed to pitch black
Sit back, watch the wind stack
Rosy cheeks, his cosy seat
Slowly reeks of dead roses
And only speak in Mozambique
Disoriented, worried and jaded
The cologen agent, orange arrangement
What if the ages got locked in the pavement?
Cobbled stone smoke rings
Hovelled hope choke string
God'll know those things
Are chocolate coated clothing
Twink, ginger glasses
Are when distance passes
Sinking harvest brings to a new cheap bastard
Rich lipstick glass
Sarcastic asses
Return to sender
A give them a Fender
A Gibson tremenda
Decision for mender
Division, death as an instrument
Tentative legs and with
Pencilled in for excellent length and width
Capacity, atrophy, wrapped in cheap
Black, tacky treats, hot
Captain Beef, captured dreams
The mind-body dualist
Blew a kiss, with eucalyptus puke and piss
Corrode a breath and soaked, forget
To blow the (?) stench
Poke and pest the folks and let
Ropes rope and choke
The broken neck of the chosenesque
Wrong, right
Yes, no
(When all I wanna do...)
What, why?
Head, toe
When all I wanna do is run
More punk than punctual
But less than a lesson
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
Bathing and blistered
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
(From all angles)
Bathing and blistered
(Coming in)
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
(When all is said and done)
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
(When all is said and done)
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
(From all angles)
Bathing and blistered
(Coming in)
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
(When all is said and done)
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
(When all is said and done)
Sick thoughts, dirty, nasty
(From all angles)
Bathing and blistered
(Coming in)
This is a result of ulcer salt
Parting in distance
(When all is said and done)
More punk than punctual
(From all angles)
But less than a lesson
(Coming in)
Red etch, pin prick, skin slit
Bled essence
(When all is said and done)
Lyrics submitted by shrodes
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More Featured Meanings
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,
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.
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/
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.