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."
Fuckers it's settled
All the train came tripping through the station
This mad hatter he was beaming at me
You cool cat
You think that you know me
I'm not the same person that I used to be
Your cards dealt your playing them wrong boy
And there's a few things that you need to know
I took the elevator up to the top
And I followed that rabbit all down the hole
I told my self I believed it
But who was I kidding
Out of these eyes I could see it
But it's all a lie the end is near I can feel it
Ya it's coming around but know there's no doubt it's settled
And there's no no way out no way out
Switch got me caught up in a twister
I'm skipping all down that yellow brick road
I said to the tin man sorry can't help ya
They ripped my heart out long time ago
And now I'm feeling like the cowardly lion
I wanna break out but I'm paralyzed
The yellow bricks led me straight to the wizard
He said it's all your state of mind
I told myself I believed it
But who was I kidding
Out of these eyes I could see it
But it's all a lie
The end is near I can feel it
Ya it's coming around
But now there's no doubt it's settled
And there's no no way out
And there's no no way out
And there's no no way out
And now there's no doubt it's settled
And there's no no way out
No way out ya oh oh oh
I told myself I believed it
But who was I kidding
Out of these eyes I could see it
But it's all a lie
The end is near I can feel it
It's coming around and now there's no doubt it's settled
There's no no way out
Now there's no way no way out [Repeat: x3]
All the train came tripping through the station
This mad hatter he was beaming at me
You cool cat
You think that you know me
I'm not the same person that I used to be
Your cards dealt your playing them wrong boy
And there's a few things that you need to know
I took the elevator up to the top
And I followed that rabbit all down the hole
I told my self I believed it
But who was I kidding
Out of these eyes I could see it
But it's all a lie the end is near I can feel it
Ya it's coming around but know there's no doubt it's settled
And there's no no way out no way out
Switch got me caught up in a twister
I'm skipping all down that yellow brick road
I said to the tin man sorry can't help ya
They ripped my heart out long time ago
And now I'm feeling like the cowardly lion
I wanna break out but I'm paralyzed
The yellow bricks led me straight to the wizard
He said it's all your state of mind
I told myself I believed it
But who was I kidding
Out of these eyes I could see it
But it's all a lie
The end is near I can feel it
Ya it's coming around
But now there's no doubt it's settled
And there's no no way out
And there's no no way out
And there's no no way out
And now there's no doubt it's settled
And there's no no way out
No way out ya oh oh oh
I told myself I believed it
But who was I kidding
Out of these eyes I could see it
But it's all a lie
The end is near I can feel it
It's coming around and now there's no doubt it's settled
There's no no way out
Now there's no way no way out [Repeat: x3]
Lyrics submitted by Bskiffington
No Way Out Lyrics as written by Kevin Rudolf Jacob Kasher Hindlin
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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No Surprises
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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.
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
I think everywhere you say "it's settled" it should read "it's a set up".
Other than that obviously borrows from alice in wonderland and the wizard of oz but idk about any interpretation deeper than that...