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."
There I was unconscious on the floor
This place I never knew departing from me I’m sure
Awaiting the hand of god knowing I stand to fall
I stared into the pitch black to no hand at all
When your all alone and you think of home
Places you may have been and who you’ve known
This beauty they speak of I cannot see
As I imagine as a child it’s make believe
Good ideas hard to find, get one and stand in line
Been judged and judged what’s one more time?
Adoring suffocation through the pain of humiliation
I would discover both sides of manipulation
Family picked up and went away
Some friends have left and some have stayed
I’ve trusted one and been betrayed
When you grow tired of lying on the ground and
People walking on you
If you get to your feet and struggle to stand
People you know withdrawal their hand
And you don’t know why
I know why
I know why..
I am just unable to feel or god fear
Some people you may have met on this planet are not here
Life taunts of violence death flaunts a silence
If your soul is priceless it's 'cause no one wants to buy it
If you relapse your quietly falling no one to catch you
So the monkey on my back is still flinging shit at you
Wipe it off lets move on we have so much to do
So much to see, I have so much pain for you
When your life is suckin you’ve got vices that are something
To hold onto as you fall into nothing
It’s like your drowning but too good to take a hand that pities
While you cling to your addiction like a kid in swimmies
Silly habit, drugs are for kids not adults it is
Not free to live unless it’s under a bridge
New york city can gauge it’s health with colors
They said I was a danger to myself and others
I have CC brothers, forgive my enemies
WM will live on like the Kennedy’s, every amenity
You lovin this un-American not to be gluttonies
Should have a big chain to accentuate the ugliness
My soul is stuck in this unaware of its appeal or purpose
And manufactured for you to steal or purchase
You leave behind what you get from money, oh well
What’s the weather like kids?
(It’s always sunny in hell)
I have one thing left to say, I’d like to share it with you
If you don’t care is it too bad for me or too bad for you?
I know it’s complicated, he suffered he tried to make it
Now maggots just want to be compensated and live through Camu
Live through Camu
You picked at his flesh the day of his death astounding
A WM on his arm and a circle around it
I'd like to think what he left behind you could really use it
Instead of saying his name just to move your shitty music
The day I feel the need to stand in a bathroom
And shovel cocaine into a human vacuum
I’ll look you up, the day I need another hole in my face
When you pass away people think that your checking your myspace
Then your enemies give you public head quick
So why not at my funeral just pull out my dead dick
Thought to project see him at the gates they let him in
I guess they needed you as much as we do yet again
I looked to the sky and opened my eyes then the weathermen
Symbol in the clouds just a memory of my friend
He stuck his head in the future where they sing his art
Where the wild card will be crowned the king of hearts
If I had things left to say, why would I share it with you?
How you suck the life from the dead is even too low for you
The time you spent depleted, his soul has just left so beat it
Go join the kids and eat it up and tell them how you knew Camu
This place I never knew departing from me I’m sure
Awaiting the hand of god knowing I stand to fall
I stared into the pitch black to no hand at all
When your all alone and you think of home
Places you may have been and who you’ve known
This beauty they speak of I cannot see
As I imagine as a child it’s make believe
Good ideas hard to find, get one and stand in line
Been judged and judged what’s one more time?
Adoring suffocation through the pain of humiliation
I would discover both sides of manipulation
Family picked up and went away
Some friends have left and some have stayed
I’ve trusted one and been betrayed
When you grow tired of lying on the ground and
People walking on you
If you get to your feet and struggle to stand
People you know withdrawal their hand
And you don’t know why
I know why
I know why..
I am just unable to feel or god fear
Some people you may have met on this planet are not here
Life taunts of violence death flaunts a silence
If your soul is priceless it's 'cause no one wants to buy it
If you relapse your quietly falling no one to catch you
So the monkey on my back is still flinging shit at you
Wipe it off lets move on we have so much to do
So much to see, I have so much pain for you
When your life is suckin you’ve got vices that are something
To hold onto as you fall into nothing
It’s like your drowning but too good to take a hand that pities
While you cling to your addiction like a kid in swimmies
Silly habit, drugs are for kids not adults it is
Not free to live unless it’s under a bridge
New york city can gauge it’s health with colors
They said I was a danger to myself and others
I have CC brothers, forgive my enemies
WM will live on like the Kennedy’s, every amenity
You lovin this un-American not to be gluttonies
Should have a big chain to accentuate the ugliness
My soul is stuck in this unaware of its appeal or purpose
And manufactured for you to steal or purchase
You leave behind what you get from money, oh well
What’s the weather like kids?
(It’s always sunny in hell)
I have one thing left to say, I’d like to share it with you
If you don’t care is it too bad for me or too bad for you?
I know it’s complicated, he suffered he tried to make it
Now maggots just want to be compensated and live through Camu
Live through Camu
You picked at his flesh the day of his death astounding
A WM on his arm and a circle around it
I'd like to think what he left behind you could really use it
Instead of saying his name just to move your shitty music
The day I feel the need to stand in a bathroom
And shovel cocaine into a human vacuum
I’ll look you up, the day I need another hole in my face
When you pass away people think that your checking your myspace
Then your enemies give you public head quick
So why not at my funeral just pull out my dead dick
Thought to project see him at the gates they let him in
I guess they needed you as much as we do yet again
I looked to the sky and opened my eyes then the weathermen
Symbol in the clouds just a memory of my friend
He stuck his head in the future where they sing his art
Where the wild card will be crowned the king of hearts
If I had things left to say, why would I share it with you?
How you suck the life from the dead is even too low for you
The time you spent depleted, his soul has just left so beat it
Go join the kids and eat it up and tell them how you knew Camu
Lyrics submitted by calculatorsalot
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
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
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.
"I have one thing left to say I'd like to share it with you, If you don't care is that too bad for me or too bad for you?" A school shooter’s thought process before he Shoots up the school. His plan is too shoot up the cafeteria and then shoot him self. “i have one thing left to say, Id like to share it with you” – he has one final statement he wants to make to the bullies and the people who didnt care about him, and to the whole world. If you dont care is it too bad for me or too bad for you? He went up to the bully and started releasing everything in his head verbally. the bully didnt care and shoved him out of the way. was that too bad for the kid? or too bad for the bully – if the bully listened to what he had to say and took it in, he might not have shoot up the school. As soon as he gets pushed on the floor, he takes out the gun and starts unleashing the internal anger and resentment.