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."
Everyone says you're amazing
Say you don't know how to do it now
So you run
It's not that you're bleeding, but you're through with it now
So you run, so you run
I know that you need it, you can't live alone
So you run, so you run
Everyone says you're amazing now that you're clean
Only you know the real ones are cause you've seen
There's only one question I want to ask is it healing
When you hear everyone say you're amazing
Does anybody ask you
Do you cry in your sleep and do you feel ok
When you run
Thinking it's Doomsday you got to let it go
So you run, so you run
Pretend you don't see it, that we can live a lie
So you run, so you run
Everyone says you're amazing now that you're clean
Only you know the real ones are cause you've seen
There's only one question I want to ask is it healing
When you hear everyone say you're amazing
Does anybody ask you
Cause I know that you're real, amazing, amazing, amazing
Everyone says you're amazing now that you're clean
Only you know the real ones are because you've seen
There's only one question I want to ask is it healing
When you hear everyone say you're amazing
Everyone says you're amazing (I want you to always feel you're amazing)
Everyone says you're amazing (I want you to always feel you're amazing)
(I want you to always feel you're amazing)
You're amazing
Say you don't know how to do it now
So you run
It's not that you're bleeding, but you're through with it now
So you run, so you run
I know that you need it, you can't live alone
So you run, so you run
Everyone says you're amazing now that you're clean
Only you know the real ones are cause you've seen
There's only one question I want to ask is it healing
When you hear everyone say you're amazing
Does anybody ask you
Do you cry in your sleep and do you feel ok
When you run
Thinking it's Doomsday you got to let it go
So you run, so you run
Pretend you don't see it, that we can live a lie
So you run, so you run
Everyone says you're amazing now that you're clean
Only you know the real ones are cause you've seen
There's only one question I want to ask is it healing
When you hear everyone say you're amazing
Does anybody ask you
Cause I know that you're real, amazing, amazing, amazing
Everyone says you're amazing now that you're clean
Only you know the real ones are because you've seen
There's only one question I want to ask is it healing
When you hear everyone say you're amazing
Everyone says you're amazing (I want you to always feel you're amazing)
Everyone says you're amazing (I want you to always feel you're amazing)
(I want you to always feel you're amazing)
You're amazing
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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,
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
i love this website! lyrics are about interpretation and everyone's view is so different.
i was thinking that the song mostly has to do with a personal dealing with substance abuse issues and the fact that troubles like those show you who's in it for the long haul, opposed to the "friends" that don't have time for your problems. I can really relate to this song, that's why i love it so much. But I also think this song looks at the point that some people like to embrace and exploit your sobriety. Drugs are brutal, and if you're addicted it's very hard to get clean. Hence the name, "addiction". Relapses can occur, and these lyrics kinda summarize this.
"Pretend you don’t see it, that we can live a lie When you run, so you run"
Sometimes other things can trigger relapses, such as stress; the stress of seeing how everyone's left you. Even though you can tell they weren't real friends, it still hurts cuz it was a relationship.
@beautydivine I agree since I quit drugs years ago and is recovering along with alcohol. I say recovering instead of recovered because for me it's a "day at a time" and when I wake up clean and sober in the morning then I'm happy with that and then strive to stay clean and sober for the rest of that day!
I def think is about someone dealing with and getting off substance abuse, and their struggles with letting go of the addiction, realising who people really are and picking themselves up again.
This song makes me feel sad and upbeat at the same time, just all the negative stuff and that no ones is really there for them, they just say your amazing for being clean and leave you again, but then there is someone there for them saying you should always feel amazing, not just at this moment and because of one thing, and not just because a bunch of people tell you you are. you should always feel amazing about yourself - and that just makes me feel good and i want to happy cry while i dance lol
and yeah the lyrics are: There’s only one question I want to ask - is it HEALING When when you hear everyone say you’re amazing Does anyone ask you?
So you run
From the pain to the healing
From the fake to the real
From lies to reality
Don't turn around
music is great because it touches different emotions for different people.
While i knew he was talking about addiction when i first heard this song , what originally struck me was the feeling of being told you're amazing (or beautiful or talented or strong) but never truly believing it. That's an issue in addiction and in life. I think the person we're harshest on and most afraid of confronting is ourselves, that probably everyone faces self hatred at some point.
You should feel amazing all the time, even when you falter and sometimes fail. It's a part of you, you're still amazing.
I am not the biggest Seal fan. But this song is pretty awesome.
it's like when your in a bad time in life you see that there's no one there except your real friends and like he says
"Everyone says you’re amazing now that you’re clean Only you know who the real ones are cause you’ve seen"
and when you are in a good time everyone is there but when you need them the most they aren't... only those real ones
hmmm. i was thinking that "everyone says your amazing now that you're clean, only you know who the real ones are cause you've seen" meant, someone is out of rehab and are no longer abusing any substances so they are clean, and now they know who their real friends are, and they're amazing now b/c they're not fogged up in the head and are simply happy to be alive.
This Song is AMAAAZING !!! i agree with all of you ,its about friends, cuz those who stood by you through bad times are the real ones .
oh and the lyrics are (is it Healing) instead of (Here and).
this song was written about heidi klums drug addiction
I am not the biggest Seal fan. But this song is pretty awesome.