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."
We've come, come, to chameleon
In your pubs, clubs
Nah, we don't want no trouble
Sit down Nick, Nick
I'm dirty from my week
Just wanna blend in
And if you wanna find us then
We're gonna run run run all ten blocks
We're gonna run run run to the tube stop
Just try to pull, pull, girls talking on their cells
Saying, "Boys, cowboys, keep your gene pool to yourselves"
Gotta run run run all ten blocks
We gotta run, run, run to the tomb stop
They wanna know
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
I gotta go, go!
Go, go!
Now everyone say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
And say it like you mean it
'Cause it doesn't mean a thing
So it's easier to scream it
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Now say, 'Oakland is never more Oakland
Then when you're lost in London
Say 'Get, get, get our order up
We gotta get get get greased to sober up
Now everyone say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
And say it like you mean it
'Cause it doesn't mean a thing
So it's easier to scream it
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Now say 'get, get, get our order up
We gotta get get get greased to sober up
They wanna know
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
They wanna know, oh:
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
We gotta go, go!
Go, go, gooooo!
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
They wanna know, oh:
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Fuck, we gotta go
In your pubs, clubs
Nah, we don't want no trouble
Sit down Nick, Nick
I'm dirty from my week
Just wanna blend in
And if you wanna find us then
We're gonna run run run all ten blocks
We're gonna run run run to the tube stop
Just try to pull, pull, girls talking on their cells
Saying, "Boys, cowboys, keep your gene pool to yourselves"
Gotta run run run all ten blocks
We gotta run, run, run to the tomb stop
They wanna know
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
I gotta go, go!
Go, go!
Now everyone say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
And say it like you mean it
'Cause it doesn't mean a thing
So it's easier to scream it
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Now say, 'Oakland is never more Oakland
Then when you're lost in London
Say 'Get, get, get our order up
We gotta get get get greased to sober up
Now everyone say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
And say it like you mean it
'Cause it doesn't mean a thing
So it's easier to scream it
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Say 'hey!'
(Hey!)
Now say 'get, get, get our order up
We gotta get get get greased to sober up
They wanna know
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
They wanna know, oh:
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
We gotta go, go!
Go, go, gooooo!
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
They wanna know, oh:
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Who let the Yankees in the chip shop?
Fuck, we gotta go
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
Pretty sure they didn't write this on tour with Biffy Clyro as they played this when I saw them on said tour. Then again, I went to the last show of the tour so they might have written it during the tour and played it on the last night.