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 woke up on this side
I thought it was a dream
At first we learned to walk
Then learned to scream
You can't understand
When you're fed from a TV screen
You can't see the things that I can see
But I forget that you thank god and pray
Some things just never stay
And we all just slip away
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
I look for some hope in every face that has a vacant stare
The shadows come but no one seems to care
The darkness floods every light that promised change
She passed sound asleep when the blood is stain the blood is pain
Somewhere I know that I'm not all alone
This bated breath I hold
My lungs want to explode
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
Just as soon as we see every floor in every mean will understand
Before the first time
Child to a mans only real words that he can
Its too late to smell the roses
When all emotions set aside
In a whisper say goodbye
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
I thought it was a dream
At first we learned to walk
Then learned to scream
You can't understand
When you're fed from a TV screen
You can't see the things that I can see
But I forget that you thank god and pray
Some things just never stay
And we all just slip away
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
I look for some hope in every face that has a vacant stare
The shadows come but no one seems to care
The darkness floods every light that promised change
She passed sound asleep when the blood is stain the blood is pain
Somewhere I know that I'm not all alone
This bated breath I hold
My lungs want to explode
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
Just as soon as we see every floor in every mean will understand
Before the first time
Child to a mans only real words that he can
Its too late to smell the roses
When all emotions set aside
In a whisper say goodbye
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
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i must say, i think this song is pretty good.
dude. who fucked up the lyrics?
i did not know that i was commenting on you personally.<br /> sorry.
WOW aar
Were they trying to make a song for the opening theme of MTV's infamous reality show or something?
That would suck
lmao ^ when i saw the title i thought the exact same thing.
This is a great song by AAR! Me loves. Except I've always thought that the lyrics to the chorus were:
"But I forget, That you thank God and pray Some things just never stay And we'll all just slip away
This can't be the real world now, I don't believe it when I can't see the truth Welcome to the real world now, The old are carried in only to poison youth, Am I? (The only one who thinks it's tragic?) 'Cause I know, This can't be the real world now" *Except for around the ending when it sounded like: "The old are carried in now just to poison youth"
But that's just what I thought the lyrics were. I'm not a hundred percent certain though. Anyone disagree on the lyrics, or have something to say?
Your version of the lyrics are correct JusTKrazy. As for the meaning of this song? Feeling alone and depressed, I think, but on a large scale not just from interpersonal relationships going bad. From what I can tell he feels like the world is going in a direction that he does not favor and at times he feels as if he is the only one who thinks it's tragic. I can agree with this song; in the dark days of 2001-2005, when the Bush administration had its strongest base of support, I felt very alone in my sentiments. I could not believe that people could not see where all of America's decisions would lead us (nowhere good) and it was depressing to say the least. This song, while still being pretty emo, touches on something more profound than just being dumped. Glad to see these guys are maturing lyrically!
I think it might be about how a lot of people think the same way, because they're influenced by the media/the news/newspapers/etc. or that some people just don't have opinions at all, and he thinks it's "tragic" ("Am I the only one who thinks it's tragic?"). Basically, I think he's saying that the youth of our country doesn't pay enough attention to what's going on in the world, and that they need to start paying attention.
Best song on in the album, imo. :) I agree with AHHHrealmonsters with the meaning, about the effects that the media have on the way that we think. The line "The old are carried in only to poison youth" seems to suggest that young people are seeing what is going on in the media and taking up the habits, in the way that a child picks up what they see around them. I love the line "You can't understand when you're fed from a TV screen" and it seems to carry this theme too. :)
dude. who fucked up the lyrics?
i found these lyrics on the aar site they're a bit different than the ones above but i think these are right
I woke up on this side I thought it was a dream At first we learned to walk Then learned to scream
You can’t understand When you’re fed from a tv screen You can’t see the things that I can see But I forget that you thank god and pray Some things just never stay And we all just slip away
This cant be the real world now I don’t believe it When I can’t see the truth Welcome to the real world now When all our carried in now just to poison you Am I The only one who thinks it’s tragic? This cant be the real world now No oh uh no oh
I look for some hope in every face that has a vacant stare The shadows come but no one seems to care The darkness floods every light that promised change She passed sound asleep when the blood is stain the blood is pain Somewhere I know that im not all alone This painted breath I hone My lungs want to explode
This cant be the real world now I don’t believe it When I cant see the truth Welcome to the real world now When all our carried in now just to poison you Am I The only one who thinks its tragic Cus I know This cant be the real world now No oh uh no oh This cant be the real world now No oh uh no oh
Just as soon as we see every floor in every mean will understand Before the first time Child to a mans only real words that he can Its too late to smell the roses When all emotions set aside In a whisper say goodbye
This cant be the real world now I don’t believe it When I can’t see the truth Welcome to the real world now When all our carried in now just to poison you Am I The only one who thinks its tragic Cus I know This cant be the real world now No oh uh no oh This cant be the real world now No oh uh no oh This cant be the real world This cant be the real world This cant be the real world now No oh uh no oh