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."
I've been watching you for some time
Your handshake's weak
And you only smile
In the moments when
Everybody else is crying
You consider life as a threat
So you watch TV
For a quick escape
But everything you see
Leaves you with no need for trying
And it's like waiting for a thief
With your door right open.
Hoping everything's gonna get stolen
There's no limit to your complaints
Nothing's good enough
To make your day
All the stars are stuck
Against your luck, you're helpless
The world is spinning too fast for you
There're million things
You'd like to do
The time is never right
So you put it all down for later
And it's like waiting for a thief
With your door right open.
Hoping everything's gonna get stolen
Then maybe, just maybe
You'll be free
See, I've been watching you for some time
Your handshake's weak
It's just like mine
Only difference that
I'm better at pretending...
Your handshake's weak
And you only smile
In the moments when
Everybody else is crying
You consider life as a threat
So you watch TV
For a quick escape
But everything you see
Leaves you with no need for trying
And it's like waiting for a thief
With your door right open.
Hoping everything's gonna get stolen
There's no limit to your complaints
Nothing's good enough
To make your day
All the stars are stuck
Against your luck, you're helpless
The world is spinning too fast for you
There're million things
You'd like to do
The time is never right
So you put it all down for later
And it's like waiting for a thief
With your door right open.
Hoping everything's gonna get stolen
Then maybe, just maybe
You'll be free
See, I've been watching you for some time
Your handshake's weak
It's just like mine
Only difference that
I'm better at pretending...
Lyrics submitted by love.my.sins
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
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.
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.
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 guess that song is about someone who's afraid to live their life...('There're million things You'd like to do The time is never right So you put it all down for later')...They also may be feeling kinda trapped, with some engagements and duties that make their life boring and annoying for them ('Hoping everything's gonna get stolen Then maybe, just maybe You'll be free')...so they're just waitng idly for the change but no change will come until they do something on their own and take their life in their hands.
I guess that song is about someone who's afraid to live their life...('There're million things You'd like to do The time is never right So you put it all down for later')...They also may be feeling kinda trapped, with some engagements and duties that make their life boring and annoying for them ('Hoping everything's gonna get stolen Then maybe, just maybe You'll be free')...so they're just waitng idly for the change but no change will come until they do something on their own and take their life in their hands.