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."
Once upon a time I thought
"What's the one thing I haven't got?"
There's not a single thing in this world I couldn't buy
That's when a gentleman caught my eye
Once or twice we went around
But now I'll tell you the thing I've found
You shouldn't make your move until you know the price
Because gentlemen aren't nice
Just because I won't agree to take his arm
And I occasionally forget his name
He likes to call inclemency what I call charm
But I know they're all the same
I think I've realized my first mistake
When he cried that his heart would break
I would have thought that I was worth the sacrifice
But gentlemen aren't nice
Just because I leave him all alone for days
And go about with others of his kind
He dares complain about my evil ways
And drive me out of my -- out of my mind
What I relate is hard to bear
I only endure it so that I might spare you ladies
I'm not known for my good advice
But gentlemen aren't
So agreeable
Love ain't a paradise
And if I told you once, I won't tell you twice
Gentlemen aren't nice
Gentlemen aren't nice
"What's the one thing I haven't got?"
There's not a single thing in this world I couldn't buy
That's when a gentleman caught my eye
Once or twice we went around
But now I'll tell you the thing I've found
You shouldn't make your move until you know the price
Because gentlemen aren't nice
Just because I won't agree to take his arm
And I occasionally forget his name
He likes to call inclemency what I call charm
But I know they're all the same
I think I've realized my first mistake
When he cried that his heart would break
I would have thought that I was worth the sacrifice
But gentlemen aren't nice
Just because I leave him all alone for days
And go about with others of his kind
He dares complain about my evil ways
And drive me out of my -- out of my mind
What I relate is hard to bear
I only endure it so that I might spare you ladies
I'm not known for my good advice
But gentlemen aren't
So agreeable
Love ain't a paradise
And if I told you once, I won't tell you twice
Gentlemen aren't nice
Gentlemen aren't nice
Lyrics submitted by misslucy
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I think that is the whole point. She is acting like a woman who treats her man very poorly, because it was written that way. She doesn't necessarily believe it.
Perhaps she is trying to make fun of women who complain about their man, when really, they should be complaining about themselves.