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 was a silver circle sign
And she was standing at the door
We pressed our way right through the crowd
Our pace was quickened to her floor
There was a single fading light
And there was silk all on the wall
She had a lot of love to give
I was prepared to take it all
[But what did she do next?]
She had disrobed
And she was waiting on the floor
She asked me what it was I want
I thought that I wanted it all
[What did you say?]
I said "stand up and move your body to the bed"
She quickly stood and turned
And here's exactly what she said
"Please be soft and sweet to me,
This life has not been good you see.
It's hard with such a history
Buried in misery."
[And what did you do next?]
I broke a smile reminding that I paid her well
(Her lips were turned?)
And then I felt her hands
Unbuckling my belt
[So was it good?]
Oh, it felt like heaven
But I'm sure she was in hell
I made it clear I'd get my moneys worth
Out of the good she sells
Break and bind yourself to me
Deliver what you sold
You see that I will only take from you
And use it up
I'll use you up
What was your name?
Break and bind yourself to me
Deliver what you sold
You see that I will only take from you
To use it up
I'll use you up
What was your name?
And she was standing at the door
We pressed our way right through the crowd
Our pace was quickened to her floor
There was a single fading light
And there was silk all on the wall
She had a lot of love to give
I was prepared to take it all
[But what did she do next?]
She had disrobed
And she was waiting on the floor
She asked me what it was I want
I thought that I wanted it all
[What did you say?]
I said "stand up and move your body to the bed"
She quickly stood and turned
And here's exactly what she said
"Please be soft and sweet to me,
This life has not been good you see.
It's hard with such a history
Buried in misery."
[And what did you do next?]
I broke a smile reminding that I paid her well
(Her lips were turned?)
And then I felt her hands
Unbuckling my belt
[So was it good?]
Oh, it felt like heaven
But I'm sure she was in hell
I made it clear I'd get my moneys worth
Out of the good she sells
Break and bind yourself to me
Deliver what you sold
You see that I will only take from you
And use it up
I'll use you up
What was your name?
Break and bind yourself to me
Deliver what you sold
You see that I will only take from you
To use it up
I'll use you up
What was your name?
Lyrics submitted by Yattering, edited by lukeeffect
He Said He Had a Story Lyrics as written by Casey Blue Crescenzo
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
This song is about the boy and probably a few other soldiers and this one man tell's them all about a story he had where he went to a brothel and everything that the man says reminds the boy of his past or things he's seen or heard. "silver circle sign" the boys been to the dime he would recognize this. Maybe the boy recognizes the words used by the woman the man does the dirty with and recognizes them as words his mother (Ms. Terri) would use. Then I'm assuming that at some point in the boy's childhood the question of his father came up which I think is actually the subject of one of the songs in Act I so maybe Ms. Terri told the boy the father's name when he was a boy so the boy hearing all these things that sound so familiar he puts them all together and asks the man his name.
Just what comes to mind when I hear this song. So the boy now knows this man is his father and he definitely doesn't like him.