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."
A few more lines needed
I know what's to come, though I'm feelin’ happy now
Don't know when I'm drunk, (. . . . . . . . .) always lets me down
Cos I always stay too long, long enough for somethin’ to go wrong
(I'm in a bar . . . . . . .)
(But it’s all I want . . . .) The police are on their way right now
Cos I always stay too long, long enough for somethin’ to go wrong
Yeah, I always stay too long, (them ladies they’re singing my s s song sssss song )
I got my peeps them with me shouting pull up your socks
Cos we just broke the law and now we're running from cops
I got my lip bust fightin’ now there's blood on my top
And I’m still out looking for a party, somewhere to stop
I got my peeps, them telling me they know where it’s at
So I pull out 20 notes and jump straight into a cab
I’m on my way to where I’m going thinking I need more jack
But that probably ain’t the brightest idea I’ve ever had
Cos I always stay too long, long enough for somethin’ to go wrong
Hey . . On the run from the law, I'm looking worse for wear
I go through a door and suddenly I find myself somewhere
Cos something’s bound to go wrong . . . if I stay too long
I know I’m gonna too drunk before I start singing my s-s-song, s-s-song, s-s-s-s-s-song, s-s-s-s-s-song.
c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon,
I got my peeps them with me at the bar doing shots
Cos now we're so fucking plastered, we don’t know when to stop
I got my girlfriend ringing me, belling me up
I know I should probably answer but I just can't be fucked
I got my peeps them with me and I’m having a blast
I’m feeling so fucking good right now I want it to last
So I put my phone on silent and I reach for my glass
The music's so fucking banging, feel like I wanna dance
I’m at the bar and I see this chick checking me out
(from afar, yes she was there aint no doubt
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . )
Looking my way as if to say ' I’m in with a shout’
So I pull a chair up and then I buy us a drink, she says cheers, I say yeah, our glasses go clink
Now I’m being bad in a cab, groping this girl
Once the cabbies paid, we make our way up to the hotel
Now I’m in a lift getting lips (. . . . . . . . . . . . . .)
But do I care, do I fuck? I'm on a roll . . . yo
I know what's to come, though I'm feelin’ happy now
Don't know when I'm drunk, (. . . . . . . . .) always lets me down
Cos I always stay too long, long enough for somethin’ to go wrong
(I'm in a bar . . . . . . .)
(But it’s all I want . . . .) The police are on their way right now
Cos I always stay too long, long enough for somethin’ to go wrong
Yeah, I always stay too long, (them ladies they’re singing my s s song sssss song )
I got my peeps them with me shouting pull up your socks
Cos we just broke the law and now we're running from cops
I got my lip bust fightin’ now there's blood on my top
And I’m still out looking for a party, somewhere to stop
I got my peeps, them telling me they know where it’s at
So I pull out 20 notes and jump straight into a cab
I’m on my way to where I’m going thinking I need more jack
But that probably ain’t the brightest idea I’ve ever had
Cos I always stay too long, long enough for somethin’ to go wrong
Hey . . On the run from the law, I'm looking worse for wear
I go through a door and suddenly I find myself somewhere
Cos something’s bound to go wrong . . . if I stay too long
I know I’m gonna too drunk before I start singing my s-s-song, s-s-song, s-s-s-s-s-song, s-s-s-s-s-song.
c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon,
I got my peeps them with me at the bar doing shots
Cos now we're so fucking plastered, we don’t know when to stop
I got my girlfriend ringing me, belling me up
I know I should probably answer but I just can't be fucked
I got my peeps them with me and I’m having a blast
I’m feeling so fucking good right now I want it to last
So I put my phone on silent and I reach for my glass
The music's so fucking banging, feel like I wanna dance
I’m at the bar and I see this chick checking me out
(from afar, yes she was there aint no doubt
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . )
Looking my way as if to say ' I’m in with a shout’
So I pull a chair up and then I buy us a drink, she says cheers, I say yeah, our glasses go clink
Now I’m being bad in a cab, groping this girl
Once the cabbies paid, we make our way up to the hotel
Now I’m in a lift getting lips (. . . . . . . . . . . . . .)
But do I care, do I fuck? I'm on a roll . . . yo
Lyrics submitted by jonmholland
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I know what's to come Am I feeling happy now? I know when I'm drunk In ways I know it always lets me down
Cos I always stay too long Long enough for something to go wrong
I'm in a brawl Cos I won't take shit lying down Right into the wall The police are on their way right now
Cos I always stay too long Long enough for something to go wrong Yeah I always stay too long Fair ladies they're singin' my s-so-song, s-s-s-s-so-song, s-s-s-s-so-song, s-s-s-song
I got my peeps standing with me shouting pull up your socks Cos we just broke the law and now we're running from cops I got my lip bust fighting now there's blood on my top And I'm still out looking for a party, somewhere to stop
I got my peeps them telling me they know where its at So I pull out twenty notes and jump straight into a cab I'm on my way to where I'm going thinking I need more Jack But that probably ain't the brightest idea I've ever had
Cos
I always stay too long Long enough for something to go wrong
On the run from the law I'm looking worse for wear I go through a door And suddenly I find myself somewhere
Somethings bound to go wrong If I stay too long I know we're going to get to dawn If only staying in singing my s-so-song, s-so-song S-s-s-s-so-song, s-s-s-s-so-song, s-s-s-s-so-song, S-so-song, s-s-s-s-so-song song song
Ah c'mon
Ah c'mon
Ah c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
I got my peeps standing with me At the bar doing shots Cos now we're so fucking plastered We don't know when to stop I got my girlfriend ringing me,belling me up I know I should probably answer but I just can't be fucked I got my peeps standing with me and I'm having a blast Im feeling so fucking good right now I want it to last So I put my phone on silent and I refill my glass The music so fucking banging feel like I wanna dance I'm at the bar and I see this chick checking me out From afar yes she wants my dick, there ain't no doubt
(no idea on this line)
Looking my way as if to say I'm in with a shot So I pull a chair up and near and buy us a drink She says cheers I says yeah our glasses go clink Now I'm being bad, in a cab, groping this girl Once the cab is paid we make our way up to the hotel Now I'm in a lift, getting lips, how dumb is this girl But do I care? do I fuck!
I'm on a roll! Yo!