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."
These warehouse wages
Kill the ends introduction
Man I should have schooled it up
When I was younger should have stuck to plan
Always had the dreams of being more self assertive
And my kids a teenager, now he needs the health insurance
So break my body
Break break my soul down
Just another zombie walking blindly through your ghost town
Pull up to the bar to politic and tap the power
Ain't nobody really all that jolly at your happy hour
But I don't want to go home yet
So I'm gonna talk to my cigarette
And that television set
It doesn't matter what brand or station
Anything to take away from the current situation
No overtime pay no holiday
Months behind on everything but the lottery
Went around the corner guaranteeing that my car died
Wifey having trouble trying to juggling both the part times
My cup ain't close to filled up
We trying to build up so we can have enough
And when I finally get the colour
Won't be nothing left to paint on
A friend of mine tried to kill himself to the same song
My better half is mad at making magic out of canned goods
My tax bracket status gotta questioning my man hood
My shorty got caught smoking weed at a concert
And if I smack em everybody treats me like a monster
My neighbors ain't doing much better
And we making competition instead of sticking together
Can't save no nest egg in fact this nest is rented
In fact that rent is late, wait
The money ain't here the raise ain't coming
Just me and my son and that crazy woman
And those bartenders this whole fucking country
Got everybody swallowing that lunch meat
Maybe we can speed up the process
Kill me in my thirties in the name of progress
Put me in the dirt and then change the topic
Some time it seems like the only way to stop it
Contemplate my departure date
Doesn't take a lot to get a lot of us to talk this way
Take a shot at me that's all I'm obligated for
Apparently my only guarantee is a walk away
The only guarantee in life, is a life worth dying for
'Cause death don't wait for no one
Sitting on your front door
The only guarantee in life, is a life worth dying for
'Cause death don't wait for no one
Sitting on your front door
Kill the ends introduction
Man I should have schooled it up
When I was younger should have stuck to plan
Always had the dreams of being more self assertive
And my kids a teenager, now he needs the health insurance
So break my body
Break break my soul down
Just another zombie walking blindly through your ghost town
Pull up to the bar to politic and tap the power
Ain't nobody really all that jolly at your happy hour
But I don't want to go home yet
So I'm gonna talk to my cigarette
And that television set
It doesn't matter what brand or station
Anything to take away from the current situation
No overtime pay no holiday
Months behind on everything but the lottery
Went around the corner guaranteeing that my car died
Wifey having trouble trying to juggling both the part times
My cup ain't close to filled up
We trying to build up so we can have enough
And when I finally get the colour
Won't be nothing left to paint on
A friend of mine tried to kill himself to the same song
My better half is mad at making magic out of canned goods
My tax bracket status gotta questioning my man hood
My shorty got caught smoking weed at a concert
And if I smack em everybody treats me like a monster
My neighbors ain't doing much better
And we making competition instead of sticking together
Can't save no nest egg in fact this nest is rented
In fact that rent is late, wait
The money ain't here the raise ain't coming
Just me and my son and that crazy woman
And those bartenders this whole fucking country
Got everybody swallowing that lunch meat
Maybe we can speed up the process
Kill me in my thirties in the name of progress
Put me in the dirt and then change the topic
Some time it seems like the only way to stop it
Contemplate my departure date
Doesn't take a lot to get a lot of us to talk this way
Take a shot at me that's all I'm obligated for
Apparently my only guarantee is a walk away
The only guarantee in life, is a life worth dying for
'Cause death don't wait for no one
Sitting on your front door
The only guarantee in life, is a life worth dying for
'Cause death don't wait for no one
Sitting on your front door
Lyrics submitted by three74mhz, edited by Doublewire
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definitely one of my favorites from When Life Give You Lemons..
for me its about the struggle of life.. and pretty much in a lifetime people go through a lot..