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."
Don't make a badge and wear it too
So mark my S's through and through
Cause I'd buy anything for you
And I make my badge and sell it, too.
My voice is finally giving in
So I tuned it down another step
So I can hit that note you wept
When I play that one note again
The body is a tempting tool
An argument on what to do
We all know there's a truth to truth
So I make my badge and sell it, too.
And I think I found the missing link
With your head inside a kitchen sink.
Throw up until you cannot drink
That's got to be the missing link
So what's a boy or girl to do?
I've turned into an epic fool
I'm man, a myth, a stepping stool
'Cause I make my badge and screw it too.
Mmm.
So what's a boy or girl to do?
I've turned into an epic flu
I'm a man, a myth, I'm a stepping stone
'Cause I make my badge and screw it too.
Hallelujah, what have I done?
Hallelujah, what have I done?
So mark my S's through and through
Cause I'd buy anything for you
And I make my badge and sell it, too.
My voice is finally giving in
So I tuned it down another step
So I can hit that note you wept
When I play that one note again
The body is a tempting tool
An argument on what to do
We all know there's a truth to truth
So I make my badge and sell it, too.
And I think I found the missing link
With your head inside a kitchen sink.
Throw up until you cannot drink
That's got to be the missing link
So what's a boy or girl to do?
I've turned into an epic fool
I'm man, a myth, a stepping stool
'Cause I make my badge and screw it too.
Mmm.
So what's a boy or girl to do?
I've turned into an epic flu
I'm a man, a myth, I'm a stepping stone
'Cause I make my badge and screw it too.
Hallelujah, what have I done?
Hallelujah, what have I done?
Lyrics submitted by ellie117
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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,
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
2008 interview with Andy Hull:
More on "Badges and Badges", which I absolutely adore. When and where did you write the song, and what is the story behind the lyrics?
Andy: That song is from a record called Money that I wrote in October of 2006, right after our first tour where we made profit. I wrote and recorded it like most of my demos - in my walk-in closet that I share with Chris. The song is about weakness and how it can be magnified during extensive touring. "Don't make a badge and sell it too, mark my S's through and through" - that line refers to selling your own band's t-shirt and the power of the dollar sign. Where the line "I think i found the missing link, with your head inside a kitchen sink" refers to a drunk girl I watched puke in a sink for 3 hours one night on that tour in Florida. Each line represents my own weakness and ability to change without batting an eye.
i thought it might be "your body is a tempting tool"...
its also definitely "stepping stool". um, i think its about someone who gets into a scene that hes not necessarily comfortable with...having sex (hence the "body is a tempting tool" part), partying, watching someone vomit into a kitchen sink... and he thinks "what the hell am i doing here, i wasnt raised like this, im not this kind of person... what have i done?" and he looks to god to help him and forgive him... the lyrics from the knitting factory are a bit different and are more spiritual, asking jesus to deliver him. but thats what i got out of it.
lyrics corrected (or at least what i hear)
Don't make a badge and wear it too So mark my S's through and through Cause I'd buy anything for you And I make my badge and sell it, too.
My voice is finally giving in So I TUNED it down another step So I can hit that note you wept When I play that one note again
THE body is A TEMPTING TOOL An argument on what to do We all know there's a truth to truth So I make my badge and sell it, too.
And I think I found the missing link With your head inside a kitchen sink. Throw up until you cannot drink That's got to be the missing link
So what's a boy or girl to do? I've turned into an epic FOOL I'm man, a myth, a stepping STOOL 'Cause I make my badge and screw it too.
Mmm.
So what's a boy or girl to do? I've turned into an epic FOOL I'm a man, a myth, I'm a stepping STOOL 'Cause I make my badge and SELL it too.
Hallelujah, what have I done? Hallelujah, what have I done?
I think this song is about labeling people.
"Don't make a badge and wear it too." ---- Don't condemn someone for being one way and then act the same way yourself
"Cause I make my badge and screw it too" ---- this may be too literal, but to me it's talking about how the person in the song labeled somebody one way and didn't like them, but then eventually fell in love with them or screwed around with them
i also agree with the idea that the person in the song got into a scene they were not comfortable with---- maybe he started hanging out with people he had previously labeled as bad just not for him
a right away, great captain! song =)
this is definitely a manchester song, not "right away, great captain." its on the "let my pride be what's left behind ep." as far as the meaning, when i saw andy play this, he said its about bands wearing their own merch (don't make a badge and wear it too).
i'm pretty sure it's "i've turned into an epic fool," not an epic flu.
its about what he's seen on his tours, a "badge" is the band t's he saying he wouldn't dream of putting on his own band t-shirt, and the "missing link" and "body is a tempting tool" verses are about girls he has seen on tour, a girl that was drunk and had a little too much fun ending in her puking in a sink