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."
High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
As I re-submerge I can barely breathe, lung capacity withering away, hyperventilate, all disintegrating bodies turn to dust, sudden rush of blood, snap me out of moods swinging in the wind, round to hurricane breeze, past damage in the blast more than physical, plain to see upon the visual, feel the impact down deep inside a rattled rib cage, lying shattered there in pieces, fall away wither and decay, cannot keep this anxiety at bay, hellfire spray twisted metal stray, when sparks fly into the naked eye, fools know not to even try, think about it fully, blowing sky high bring a house down, panic all around, blind to the fact silent ones who plan a hijack give with one hand, other takes back one way collision flight path, aftermath, come and feel the wrath laid to waste, steadily with haste, cutting to the chase, drifting off the pace, filling all space and times up for the meanwhile pressure piles down, terror reigns.
Runaway, loose, gonna run over you, infected, injected, completely subdued, invasive, foreign entity, unwelcome. High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
Lines, lines data and lines, confusing nations all data inside, games shame lies to the masses, dead souls all rise on poisonous gasses, lines, lines la la la la la la, lines.
Battered and broken hour glass, last thing you see before the light fizzle out, smoke billowing, broken down from the inside by scandalous tension, take hold, gripped by the head, cold harbouring a grudge, closer to the edge, cradling the grave concern, follow leaders in turn, flipside opposition, convey grievance, half a mind to test immortal patience, held down while suffocating, blocking air path, final exhale, vital sign fail, flatline, they would rather do away with our kind, half expected inside, rotten infected, fatally flawed and overawed, biohazardous and contagious, got animal into animal, crushedlike beasts into cages, slow deteriorate body, shutting down, cease and fade, cease then fade.
Runaway, loose, gonna run over you, infected, injected, completely subdued, invasive, foreign entity, unwelcome.
Lines, lines la la la la la la, lines, lines la la la la la la, lines, la la la la la. High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
As I re-submerge I can barely breathe, lung capacity withering away, hyperventilate, all disintegrating bodies turn to dust, sudden rush of blood, snap me out of moods swinging in the wind, round to hurricane breeze, past damage in the blast more than physical, plain to see upon the visual, feel the impact down deep inside a rattled rib cage, lying shattered there in pieces, fall away wither and decay, cannot keep this anxiety at bay, hellfire spray twisted metal stray, when sparks fly into the naked eye, fools know not to even try, think about it fully, blowing sky high bring a house down, panic all around, blind to the fact silent ones who plan a hijack give with one hand, other takes back one way collision flight path, aftermath, come and feel the wrath laid to waste, steadily with haste, cutting to the chase, drifting off the pace, filling all space and times up for the meanwhile pressure piles down, terror reigns.
Runaway, loose, gonna run over you, infected, injected, completely subdued, invasive, foreign entity, unwelcome. High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
Lines, lines data and lines, confusing nations all data inside, games shame lies to the masses, dead souls all rise on poisonous gasses, lines, lines la la la la la la, lines.
Battered and broken hour glass, last thing you see before the light fizzle out, smoke billowing, broken down from the inside by scandalous tension, take hold, gripped by the head, cold harbouring a grudge, closer to the edge, cradling the grave concern, follow leaders in turn, flipside opposition, convey grievance, half a mind to test immortal patience, held down while suffocating, blocking air path, final exhale, vital sign fail, flatline, they would rather do away with our kind, half expected inside, rotten infected, fatally flawed and overawed, biohazardous and contagious, got animal into animal, crushedlike beasts into cages, slow deteriorate body, shutting down, cease and fade, cease then fade.
Runaway, loose, gonna run over you, infected, injected, completely subdued, invasive, foreign entity, unwelcome.
Lines, lines la la la la la la, lines, lines la la la la la la, lines, la la la la la. High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
Lyrics submitted by ecorchee1
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
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.