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."
Rise aviator - sun will follow.
Aperture on door the wave form school.
Sentient ground of the light shrine shining.
Aperture on door the lind-hymn stone.
Sentient ground of the light shrine shining.
Aperture of door the lind-hymn stone.
The orbits arms oscillate to freedom.
Params the shore of celestial sea.
Rise aviator - sun will follow.
On aperture on door the wave form school.
Sentient ground of the light shrine shining.
Semblates the finite - to autumnate seen.
Electron sea - now set free - takes into the sky above on sentinel stream.
And grant to me - a light to see - and pilgrimage to mountain of the votaric form.
And lighten pon day - the solarics raise - falls upon the ziggurat electron school.
And reap upon field - the host moon fade away - glides the aeronaut toward the object form.
And lighten pon day - as scintillate rays - augurate arrival of a seraphic form.
From Lebanon reels - the obelisk seen - called now inverse upon the currenter-sign.
The matter form wanes - the host moon fades - takes into the sky ascends the freedomward dove.
The rite of fall sealed - descendant orb hails her - down to the ground of electron form.
And travel under twin suns rays - the host-moon fades - takes into the clesiast at oracle school.
An epison raise - the pole star fades - wakes into availed light of aurican form.
To reach a suns rays - through glowing bronze grace - leaves the lake and rises toward empyrean sun.
The swans array - the crane stands veiled grace - tunnement to the omen of the object form.
And travel on toward the lighten pon day - on through a spine's gates - climbs the silken thread to cross a silvering sun.
The Orphic glow seen - as aural sounds ring - climbant to throne within on spine's attuned prow.
Empyrean rays - engulf the nine gates - dove ascends to freedom through a lantern filled sky.
Awakens from field - availed light's salving grace heralds arrival of the solar-object form.
Reemerge to breathe - the outform seen - vivified by illumined glow through auric-clad sheath.
An epison raise - the pole star fades - wakes into availed light of aurican form.
To reach a suns rays - of glowing bronze grace - leaves the lake and rises toward empyrean sun.
The swans array - the crane stands veiled grace - tunnement to the omen of the object form.
And lighten pon day - as scintillate rays - augurate arrival of a seraphic form.
From Lebanon reels - the obelisk seen - called now inverse upon the currenter-sign.
The matter form wanes - the host moon fades - takes into the sky ascends the freedomward dove.
The of fall sealed - cremation now reclaims - bows toward the sun and sheds the object form.
Aperture on door the wave form school.
Sentient ground of the light shrine shining.
Aperture on door the lind-hymn stone.
Sentient ground of the light shrine shining.
Aperture of door the lind-hymn stone.
The orbits arms oscillate to freedom.
Params the shore of celestial sea.
Rise aviator - sun will follow.
On aperture on door the wave form school.
Sentient ground of the light shrine shining.
Semblates the finite - to autumnate seen.
Electron sea - now set free - takes into the sky above on sentinel stream.
And grant to me - a light to see - and pilgrimage to mountain of the votaric form.
And lighten pon day - the solarics raise - falls upon the ziggurat electron school.
And reap upon field - the host moon fade away - glides the aeronaut toward the object form.
And lighten pon day - as scintillate rays - augurate arrival of a seraphic form.
From Lebanon reels - the obelisk seen - called now inverse upon the currenter-sign.
The matter form wanes - the host moon fades - takes into the sky ascends the freedomward dove.
The rite of fall sealed - descendant orb hails her - down to the ground of electron form.
And travel under twin suns rays - the host-moon fades - takes into the clesiast at oracle school.
An epison raise - the pole star fades - wakes into availed light of aurican form.
To reach a suns rays - through glowing bronze grace - leaves the lake and rises toward empyrean sun.
The swans array - the crane stands veiled grace - tunnement to the omen of the object form.
And travel on toward the lighten pon day - on through a spine's gates - climbs the silken thread to cross a silvering sun.
The Orphic glow seen - as aural sounds ring - climbant to throne within on spine's attuned prow.
Empyrean rays - engulf the nine gates - dove ascends to freedom through a lantern filled sky.
Awakens from field - availed light's salving grace heralds arrival of the solar-object form.
Reemerge to breathe - the outform seen - vivified by illumined glow through auric-clad sheath.
An epison raise - the pole star fades - wakes into availed light of aurican form.
To reach a suns rays - of glowing bronze grace - leaves the lake and rises toward empyrean sun.
The swans array - the crane stands veiled grace - tunnement to the omen of the object form.
And lighten pon day - as scintillate rays - augurate arrival of a seraphic form.
From Lebanon reels - the obelisk seen - called now inverse upon the currenter-sign.
The matter form wanes - the host moon fades - takes into the sky ascends the freedomward dove.
The of fall sealed - cremation now reclaims - bows toward the sun and sheds the object form.
Lyrics submitted by MilkForWhales
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
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
Truly Om's magnum opus. Glad the lyrics have been posted.
Maybe the segment of swans ascending is a reference to the verse 91 of the Dhammapada: "They (Arhat) depart with their thoughts well-collected, they are not happy in their abode; like swans who have left their lake, they leave their house and home."
I've been trying to figure out the incredibly deep and meaning cryptically shown in these masterful lyrics since I first heard the song. I've come to believe that the 'object form' is the form we take in life, and in existence as matter in the universe. The object form is composed of atoms and the energy which holds them together- found in electrons. Cisneros writes of being freed from the object form, shedding out Earthly bodies and transcending into electron form- the energy state. I won't pretend that I know the meaning of the heavy religious symbolism used, but I am pretty sure about the object form/electron form theory.
@Moopzoo idk i feel like al writes lyrics in a similar way that kurt cobain did. I mean it seems deep at first glance but if you really think about it he's just describing himself getting high lmao. Same with aquarian if you read the lyrics to that masterpiece.
@Moopzoo idk i feel like al writes lyrics in a similar way that kurt cobain did. I mean it seems deep at first glance but if you really think about it he's just describing himself getting high lmao. Same with aquarian if you read the lyrics to that masterpiece.