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."
You're everything I thought you never were
And nothing like I thought you could've been
But still you live inside of me
So tell me, how is that?
You're the only one I wish I could forget
The only one I love to not forgive
And though you break my heart
You're the only one
And though there are times when I hate you 'cause I can't erase
The times that you hurt me and put tears on my face
And even now while I hate you, it pains me to say
I know I'll be there at the end of the day
I don't wanna be without you, babe
I don't want a broken heart
Don't wanna take a breath without you, babe
I don't want to play that part
I know that I love you, but let me just say
I don't wanna love you in no kind of way, no, no
I don't want a broken heart
And I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl
No, no, no broken-hearted girl
I'm no broken-hearted girl
There's something that I feel I need to say
But up 'til now I've always been afraid
That you would never come around
And still I wanna put this out
You say you got the most respect for me but
Sometimes I feel you're not deserving of me
And still you're in my heart
But you're the only one
And, yes, there are times when I hate you, but I don't complain
'Cause I've been afraid that you would walk away
Oh, but now I don't hate you, I'm happy to say
That I will be there at the end of the day
I don't wanna be without you, babe
I don't want a broken heart
Don't wanna take a breath without you, baby
I don't want to play that part
I know that I love you, but let me just say
I don't wanna love you in no kind of way, no, no
I don't want a broken heart
And I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl
No, no, no broken-hearted girl
Now I'm at a place I thought I'd never be, ooh
I'm living in a world that's all about you and me, yeah
Ain't got to be afraid, my broken heart is free
To spread my wings and fly away, away with you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
I don't wanna be without my baby
I don't want a broken heart
Don't wanna take a breath without my baby
I don't want to play that part
I know that I love you, but let me just say
I don't wanna love you in no kind of way, no, no
I don't want a broken heart
I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl
No, no, no broken-hearted girl
Broken-hearted girl, no, no
No broken-hearted girl
No broken-hearted girl
And nothing like I thought you could've been
But still you live inside of me
So tell me, how is that?
You're the only one I wish I could forget
The only one I love to not forgive
And though you break my heart
You're the only one
And though there are times when I hate you 'cause I can't erase
The times that you hurt me and put tears on my face
And even now while I hate you, it pains me to say
I know I'll be there at the end of the day
I don't wanna be without you, babe
I don't want a broken heart
Don't wanna take a breath without you, babe
I don't want to play that part
I know that I love you, but let me just say
I don't wanna love you in no kind of way, no, no
I don't want a broken heart
And I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl
No, no, no broken-hearted girl
I'm no broken-hearted girl
There's something that I feel I need to say
But up 'til now I've always been afraid
That you would never come around
And still I wanna put this out
You say you got the most respect for me but
Sometimes I feel you're not deserving of me
And still you're in my heart
But you're the only one
And, yes, there are times when I hate you, but I don't complain
'Cause I've been afraid that you would walk away
Oh, but now I don't hate you, I'm happy to say
That I will be there at the end of the day
I don't wanna be without you, babe
I don't want a broken heart
Don't wanna take a breath without you, baby
I don't want to play that part
I know that I love you, but let me just say
I don't wanna love you in no kind of way, no, no
I don't want a broken heart
And I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl
No, no, no broken-hearted girl
Now I'm at a place I thought I'd never be, ooh
I'm living in a world that's all about you and me, yeah
Ain't got to be afraid, my broken heart is free
To spread my wings and fly away, away with you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
I don't wanna be without my baby
I don't want a broken heart
Don't wanna take a breath without my baby
I don't want to play that part
I know that I love you, but let me just say
I don't wanna love you in no kind of way, no, no
I don't want a broken heart
I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl
No, no, no broken-hearted girl
Broken-hearted girl, no, no
No broken-hearted girl
No broken-hearted girl
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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,
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some on the lyrics are wrong. it is "You're the only one I wish I could forget The only one I love to not forgive"