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 wanna thank you cause you helped me realize what I couldn’t be
I can’t replace you with melodies of lies I couldn’t sing
A fallen angel from a velveteen sky with crooked wings
The most painful of unhealthy advice, you shouldn’t think
You runnin’ away from people, all the while you think you cautious
You wanted to play the college life, but I just think you’ve lost it
This alcoholic’s mine, no matter what the cost is
It’s funny, now I draw the line just to watch you cross it
I was uncomfortable after a couple of ganders
‘Cause in a troubled manner found it was just a double-standard
The lips you kissed have tied knots
And raised the question of why she’s promiscuous and I’m not
But friend or foe, with my pen I sew and try to mend what’s broke
And love you ten-fold for all the other men that don’t
I’m fighting monsters that you let in through the back door
Past the knight in shining armor that you never asked for
[Chorus]
Even if your lips don’t move your wounds
Speak to me the truth
Speak to me the truth
Don’t think I don’t know
Even if your lips don’t move your wounds
Speak to me the truth
You need to clean your wounds
Don’t think I don’t know
Her wrists are covered, lips conflict with her mother
I’m the biggest sucker, crushing just another fixer-upper
Covered in face kisses
No wonder parents of this smothered rape victim keep me from her at a safe distance
I take her heart, and her suffering and pain with it
It’s back to the gutter to find another stray kitten
You don’t need me sober
It takes all the weight on each of these shoulders for me to not be extremely vulgar
But whatever ma, I let her off, I’m better off
Will I ever love her again? Well, I never stopped
Her life’s too sexual, the cycle is perpetual
Final’s unacceptable, my timing’s unimpeccable
I know you hate to live life that way
Scared her off, I swear to God I died that day
Figured ‘how could she be better without me?’
That’s when I realized – It was never about me
Chorus
I think of every time you slept with me
Why? I can’t express it
You were wrong and I excessively tried to stand corrected
But I let love get the best of me, blind and anorexic
I don’t blame you for the destiny that I had manifested
We shared the knife vertical, no care in life for where to go
Fly from where your parents fight, you’re scared of heights – vertigo
Beautifully I reminisce and burn in your Fahrenheit
We used to mutually benefit – we turned into parasites
I’m disobedient to your receiving body
You’re seemingly unappreciative for all the cheating on me
Thinking calmly, maybe this just wasn’t meant to be
From frustration I’ve been smashing all my mirrors excessively
I haven’t seen myself in so long, losing my identity
I was surprised that she, in fact, had never shared a bed with me
In loving you I realized what I am and what I’m not
I got over you. That’s just a way of saying I forgot.
But whatever.
Chorus
I can’t replace you with melodies of lies I couldn’t sing
A fallen angel from a velveteen sky with crooked wings
The most painful of unhealthy advice, you shouldn’t think
You runnin’ away from people, all the while you think you cautious
You wanted to play the college life, but I just think you’ve lost it
This alcoholic’s mine, no matter what the cost is
It’s funny, now I draw the line just to watch you cross it
I was uncomfortable after a couple of ganders
‘Cause in a troubled manner found it was just a double-standard
The lips you kissed have tied knots
And raised the question of why she’s promiscuous and I’m not
But friend or foe, with my pen I sew and try to mend what’s broke
And love you ten-fold for all the other men that don’t
I’m fighting monsters that you let in through the back door
Past the knight in shining armor that you never asked for
[Chorus]
Even if your lips don’t move your wounds
Speak to me the truth
Speak to me the truth
Don’t think I don’t know
Even if your lips don’t move your wounds
Speak to me the truth
You need to clean your wounds
Don’t think I don’t know
Her wrists are covered, lips conflict with her mother
I’m the biggest sucker, crushing just another fixer-upper
Covered in face kisses
No wonder parents of this smothered rape victim keep me from her at a safe distance
I take her heart, and her suffering and pain with it
It’s back to the gutter to find another stray kitten
You don’t need me sober
It takes all the weight on each of these shoulders for me to not be extremely vulgar
But whatever ma, I let her off, I’m better off
Will I ever love her again? Well, I never stopped
Her life’s too sexual, the cycle is perpetual
Final’s unacceptable, my timing’s unimpeccable
I know you hate to live life that way
Scared her off, I swear to God I died that day
Figured ‘how could she be better without me?’
That’s when I realized – It was never about me
Chorus
I think of every time you slept with me
Why? I can’t express it
You were wrong and I excessively tried to stand corrected
But I let love get the best of me, blind and anorexic
I don’t blame you for the destiny that I had manifested
We shared the knife vertical, no care in life for where to go
Fly from where your parents fight, you’re scared of heights – vertigo
Beautifully I reminisce and burn in your Fahrenheit
We used to mutually benefit – we turned into parasites
I’m disobedient to your receiving body
You’re seemingly unappreciative for all the cheating on me
Thinking calmly, maybe this just wasn’t meant to be
From frustration I’ve been smashing all my mirrors excessively
I haven’t seen myself in so long, losing my identity
I was surprised that she, in fact, had never shared a bed with me
In loving you I realized what I am and what I’m not
I got over you. That’s just a way of saying I forgot.
But whatever.
Chorus
Lyrics submitted by mikeudful
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