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."
In case you were wondering
I can't get comfortable in my own skin
But it was bound to happen
In case you were wondering,
I'm twenty three and avoiding the bar scene,
Lycra pants, and designer jeans.
In case you were wondering,
I'm staying in.
I won't smell like cheap perfume or cigarettes tonight.
And every word that I said got drowned out by a dance remix of a pop song I don't care about.
In case you forgot how bad I've been down, just ask around 'cause you know this town loves to run its mouth.
Say, say you'll stay in with me today.
Say, say you'll stay.
'Cause you won't find me on the north Jersey club scene
With the Girls Gone Wild B-team.
I don't need to pump my fist to look sweet.
In case you were wondering,
I promised myself that I would try to be more social at parties.
Can someone tell these kids liking the rain no longer counts as an idiosyncrasy.
In fact, I think that Rupert Holmes wrote a song about it in the '70s.
And consequently, he also saved the Pina Colada industry.
Say, say you'll stay in with me today.
Say, say you'll stay.
'Cause you won't find me on the north Jersey club scene
With the Girls Gone Wild B-team.
I don't need to pump my fist to look sweet.
Say, say, say, say you'll stay.
Say, say, say, say you'll stay.
I can't believe I ended up here again watching this terrible band play songs I hate in the basement.
I can't believe that I got stuck here again while the kid with the dreads tells me he's smarter on acid.
I can't believe that I'm not running away so just say,
Say, say you'll stay.
I can't get comfortable in my own skin
But it was bound to happen
In case you were wondering,
I'm twenty three and avoiding the bar scene,
Lycra pants, and designer jeans.
In case you were wondering,
I'm staying in.
I won't smell like cheap perfume or cigarettes tonight.
And every word that I said got drowned out by a dance remix of a pop song I don't care about.
In case you forgot how bad I've been down, just ask around 'cause you know this town loves to run its mouth.
Say, say you'll stay in with me today.
Say, say you'll stay.
'Cause you won't find me on the north Jersey club scene
With the Girls Gone Wild B-team.
I don't need to pump my fist to look sweet.
In case you were wondering,
I promised myself that I would try to be more social at parties.
Can someone tell these kids liking the rain no longer counts as an idiosyncrasy.
In fact, I think that Rupert Holmes wrote a song about it in the '70s.
And consequently, he also saved the Pina Colada industry.
Say, say you'll stay in with me today.
Say, say you'll stay.
'Cause you won't find me on the north Jersey club scene
With the Girls Gone Wild B-team.
I don't need to pump my fist to look sweet.
Say, say, say, say you'll stay.
Say, say, say, say you'll stay.
I can't believe I ended up here again watching this terrible band play songs I hate in the basement.
I can't believe that I got stuck here again while the kid with the dreads tells me he's smarter on acid.
I can't believe that I'm not running away so just say,
Say, say you'll stay.
Lyrics submitted by BryanMac
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
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
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.
dude are me and this guy the same person
I'm really glad I came across this band, because literally every song on The Upsides has something I can relate to right now.
I think it might be 'lycra pants' not light blue.
It's definitely lycra pants. Jersey girls are known for wearing them.
this songs so great… he hates the party scene
The "terrible band play[ing] songs I hate in the basement" was a band covering Sublime. Just through that out there.
Throwing* Not "through"
Anyone know what "Liking the rain" is a reference to?
The lyrics RIGHT after that tell you what its a reference to, Rupert Holmes wrote a song about Pina Colada's, in which it also said about being "Caught in the rain"
Wow, I'm an idiot. I figured it was JUST a reference to the term "idiosyncrasy" which works too because according to Wikipedia, this song was deemed as "the success that ruined his career" because it drew attention from his serious works. Soupy is the man.
"Liking the rain no longer counts as an idiosyncrasy"
Meas like, as we grow older, being unique is more than just "like the rain", which is pretty cliche. Everyone thinks they are so individual for liking something that a million others like. The uniqueness of pop culture is lacking. Everyone is so trendy. Pretty self-explanatory. Pretty damn true.
I fucking hate the rain...
on the way to school in the morning my bus driver had the radio on and this song started playing...
made my day :D
loving The Upsides!