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."
Jesse, I'm not joking around.
I see the crowd you're hanging with.
Those kids don't seem positive.
Don't all the cigs make you tired?
You know I'll never ask you to change.
I'll only ask you to try.
I know you're gonna do what I know you're gonna do.
But twenty-two and banging around in restaurants
Isn't that much prettier than banging around in bars.
Why do you keep going to his car?
I don't want this to stop.
I want you to know.
I don't want you to settle.
I want you to grow.
Forget all the boys that you met at the harbor.
They're too hard already.
They'll only get harder.
Jesse, let's go for a ride.
I know a place that we could stop.
I know a place that we could drink and kiss for a while.
I know a place that always makes you smile.
I know you're gonna say what I know you're gonna say.
I know you'll look around at the ground.
I know you'll probably cry.
You're a beautiful girl and you're a pretty good waitress.
But Jesse I don't think I'm the guy.
I don't want this to stop.
I want you to know.
I don't want you to settle.
I want you to grow.
Forget everything that I showed you this summer.
You're too hard already.
You'll only get harder.
But they didn't name her for a saint.
They named her for a storm.
So how is she supposed to think about
How it's gonna feel in the morning?
She said if heaven's hypothetical
And if the cigs keep you warm.
Then how is she supposed to think about
How it's gonna move in the morning?
About how it's gonna move in the morning?
About how it's gonna move in the morning?
Hurricane Jesse's gonna crash into the harbor this summer.
She don't want to wait til she gets older.
Hurricane Jesse's gonna crash into the harbor this summer.
She don't want to wait.
She said it only gets harder
I see the crowd you're hanging with.
Those kids don't seem positive.
Don't all the cigs make you tired?
You know I'll never ask you to change.
I'll only ask you to try.
I know you're gonna do what I know you're gonna do.
But twenty-two and banging around in restaurants
Isn't that much prettier than banging around in bars.
Why do you keep going to his car?
I don't want this to stop.
I want you to know.
I don't want you to settle.
I want you to grow.
Forget all the boys that you met at the harbor.
They're too hard already.
They'll only get harder.
Jesse, let's go for a ride.
I know a place that we could stop.
I know a place that we could drink and kiss for a while.
I know a place that always makes you smile.
I know you're gonna say what I know you're gonna say.
I know you'll look around at the ground.
I know you'll probably cry.
You're a beautiful girl and you're a pretty good waitress.
But Jesse I don't think I'm the guy.
I don't want this to stop.
I want you to know.
I don't want you to settle.
I want you to grow.
Forget everything that I showed you this summer.
You're too hard already.
You'll only get harder.
But they didn't name her for a saint.
They named her for a storm.
So how is she supposed to think about
How it's gonna feel in the morning?
She said if heaven's hypothetical
And if the cigs keep you warm.
Then how is she supposed to think about
How it's gonna move in the morning?
About how it's gonna move in the morning?
About how it's gonna move in the morning?
Hurricane Jesse's gonna crash into the harbor this summer.
She don't want to wait til she gets older.
Hurricane Jesse's gonna crash into the harbor this summer.
She don't want to wait.
She said it only gets harder
Lyrics submitted by mcstevepants
Hurricane J Lyrics as written by Tad Kubler Craig Finn
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Should be:
Jessie I'm not joking around I see the crowd you're hanging with and those kids don't seem positive Don't all the cigs make you tired? You know I'll never ask you to change I'll only ask you to try
I know you're gonna do what I know you're gonna do But 22 and banging around in restaurants isn't that much prettier than banging around in bars And why do you keep going to his car
I don't want this to stop I want you to know I don't want you to settle I want you to grow Forget all the boys that you met at the harbor You're too hard already. You'll only getting harder
Jessie let's go for a ride I know a place that we can stop I know a place that we can drink and kiss for a while I know a place that always makes you smile
I know you're gonna say what I know you're gonna say I know you'll at the ground I know you'll probably cry You're a beautiful girl And you're a pretty good waitress Jessie I don't think I'm the guy.
I don't want this to stop I want you to know I don't want you to settle I want you to grow Forget everything that I showed you this summer You're too hard already. You'll only get harder
They didn't name her for a saint They named her for a storm So how's she supposed to think about how it's gonna feel in the morning
She said, if heaven's hypothetical, and if the cigs keep you warm, then how's she supposed to think about how it's gonna move in the morning. Man how it's gonna move in the morning. Man how it's gonna move in the morning.
Hurricane Jess, she's gonna crash into the harbor this summer She don't want to wait 'til she gets older Hurricane Jess, she's gonna crash into the harbor this summer She don't want to wait She said, "it only gets harder"