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'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
Yeah
To take a stand (to take a stand)
It's been a ride
Everybody (everybody)
I guess I had to go to that place
Come take my hand (come take my hand)
To get to this one
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Now some of you might still be in that place
Whatever weather, cold or warm
If you're tryna get out (just lettin' you know that you're not alone)
Just follow me (holla if you feel like you've been down the same road)
I'll get you there
You can try and read my lyrics off of this paper before I lay 'em
But you won't take the sting out these words before I say 'em
'Cause ain't no way I'ma let you stop me from causin' mayhem
When I say I'm a do somethin', I do it
I don't give a damn what you think
I'm doin' this for me, so fuck the world, feed it beans
It's gassed up, if it thinks it's stoppin' me
I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtedly
And all those who look down on me, I'm tearin' down your balcony
No if, ands or buts, don't try to ask him why or how can he
From "Infinite" down to the last "Relapse" album he's still shittin'
Whether he's on salary, paid hourly, until he bows out or he shits his bowels out of him
Whichever comes first, for better or worse
He's married to the game, like a fuck you for Christmas
His gift is a curse, forget the Earth, he's got the urge to pull his dick from the dirt
And fuck the whole universe
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
To take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (everybody)
Come take my hand come (come take my hand)
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road
Okay, quit playin' with the scissors and shit, and cut the crap
I shouldn't have to rhyme these words in the rhythm for you to know it's a wrap
You said you was king
You lied through your teeth, for that, fuck your feelings
Instead of gettin' crowned you're gettin' capped, and to the fans
I'll never let you down again, I'm back
I promise to never go back on that promise
In fact, let's be honest, that last "Relapse" CD was eh
Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground
Relax, I ain't goin' back to that now
All I'm tryna say is get back, click-clack, blaow, 'cause I ain't playin' around
There's a game called circle and I don't know how
I'm way too up to back down
But I think I'm still tryna figure this crap out
Thought I had it mapped out but I guess I didn't, this fuckin' black cloud
Still follows me around but it's time to exercise these demons
These muh'fuckers are doin' jumpin' jacks now
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
To take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (everybody)
Come take my hand come (come take my hand)
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road
And I just can't keep living this way
So starting today
I'm breaking out of this cage
I'm standing up, I'ma face my demons
I'm manning up, I'ma hold my ground
I've had enough, now I'm so fed up
Time to put my life back together right now (now)
It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally for you
So I could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through
And don't realize what you did, ('cause) believe me you
I been through the wringer, but they could do little to the middle finger
I think I got a tear in my eye, I feel like the king of
My world, haters can make like bees with no stingers and drop dead
No more beef lingers, no more drama from now on
I promise to focus solely on handlin' my responsibilities as a father
So I solemnly swear to always treat this roof like my daughters and raise it
You couldn't lift a single shingle on it, 'cause the way I feel
I'm strong enough to go to the club or the corner pub
And lift the whole liquor counter up 'cause I'm raising the bar
I'd shoot for the moon but I'm too busy gazin' at stars, I feel amazing and I'm not
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
To take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (everybody)
Come take my hand come (come take my hand)
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road
Yeah
To take a stand (to take a stand)
It's been a ride
Everybody (everybody)
I guess I had to go to that place
Come take my hand (come take my hand)
To get to this one
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Now some of you might still be in that place
Whatever weather, cold or warm
If you're tryna get out (just lettin' you know that you're not alone)
Just follow me (holla if you feel like you've been down the same road)
I'll get you there
You can try and read my lyrics off of this paper before I lay 'em
But you won't take the sting out these words before I say 'em
'Cause ain't no way I'ma let you stop me from causin' mayhem
When I say I'm a do somethin', I do it
I don't give a damn what you think
I'm doin' this for me, so fuck the world, feed it beans
It's gassed up, if it thinks it's stoppin' me
I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtedly
And all those who look down on me, I'm tearin' down your balcony
No if, ands or buts, don't try to ask him why or how can he
From "Infinite" down to the last "Relapse" album he's still shittin'
Whether he's on salary, paid hourly, until he bows out or he shits his bowels out of him
Whichever comes first, for better or worse
He's married to the game, like a fuck you for Christmas
His gift is a curse, forget the Earth, he's got the urge to pull his dick from the dirt
And fuck the whole universe
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
To take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (everybody)
Come take my hand come (come take my hand)
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road
Okay, quit playin' with the scissors and shit, and cut the crap
I shouldn't have to rhyme these words in the rhythm for you to know it's a wrap
You said you was king
You lied through your teeth, for that, fuck your feelings
Instead of gettin' crowned you're gettin' capped, and to the fans
I'll never let you down again, I'm back
I promise to never go back on that promise
In fact, let's be honest, that last "Relapse" CD was eh
Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground
Relax, I ain't goin' back to that now
All I'm tryna say is get back, click-clack, blaow, 'cause I ain't playin' around
There's a game called circle and I don't know how
I'm way too up to back down
But I think I'm still tryna figure this crap out
Thought I had it mapped out but I guess I didn't, this fuckin' black cloud
Still follows me around but it's time to exercise these demons
These muh'fuckers are doin' jumpin' jacks now
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
To take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (everybody)
Come take my hand come (come take my hand)
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road
And I just can't keep living this way
So starting today
I'm breaking out of this cage
I'm standing up, I'ma face my demons
I'm manning up, I'ma hold my ground
I've had enough, now I'm so fed up
Time to put my life back together right now (now)
It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally for you
So I could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through
And don't realize what you did, ('cause) believe me you
I been through the wringer, but they could do little to the middle finger
I think I got a tear in my eye, I feel like the king of
My world, haters can make like bees with no stingers and drop dead
No more beef lingers, no more drama from now on
I promise to focus solely on handlin' my responsibilities as a father
So I solemnly swear to always treat this roof like my daughters and raise it
You couldn't lift a single shingle on it, 'cause the way I feel
I'm strong enough to go to the club or the corner pub
And lift the whole liquor counter up 'cause I'm raising the bar
I'd shoot for the moon but I'm too busy gazin' at stars, I feel amazing and I'm not
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
To take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (everybody)
Come take my hand come (come take my hand)
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin' you know that you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road
Lyrics submitted by afitch1206
Not Afraid Lyrics as written by Jordan D. C. Evans Matthew Raymond Burnett
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I'm wondering if anybody really knows what this song is about. Some of it is just small talk but the overall message is about recovery from addiction. In a 12 step program, our main goal is to recover & help others recover from addiction. That's why he says "Everybody come take my hand, we'll walk this road together." The whole "not afraid to take a stand"... in my opinion has to do with an addict's ego because when we let go of the drugs, one of the first things we have to deal with is our ego because we're always worried about what other people will think about us quitting drugs or what others will think about the fact that we even did drugs. When he says, "thought I had it mapped out but I guess I didn't, this f-ing black cloud still follows me around but it's time to exercise these demons, these motherf-ers are doin' jumpin' jacks now!" A lot of times, in recovery we try to do things our own way & we think we can.. and most of us never really understand why we are so addicted, or why even when we have stopped doing drugs or alcohol for a long period of time, we are still an addict and/or alcoholic (this f-ing black cloud still follows me around)... so we have to always work against the disease to keep it at bay (but it's time to exercise these demons). The line, "These motherf-ers are doin' jumpin' jacks now!".. if you haven't been in recovery, you would never know what he's talking about. Addiction/alcoholism is a progressive disease whether you're using or not and they say the whole time you're clean, your addiction is still getting stronger, doing jumping jacks in the back of your mind. My favorite verse of the whole song is the last one, where he says, "Cause the way I feel, I'm strong enough to go to the club or the corner pub & lift the whole liquir counter up cause I'm raising the bar, I shoot for the moon but I'm too busy gazing at stars, I feel amazing & I'm not afraid..." He is saying that he is strong enough in his recovery to put himself in a tempting situation without giving in. LOVE THIS SONG!!!!
I got tired of reading all the other posts and posted my own and when I went back to actually read all the posts I saw this post from you.<br /> <br /> Thank you for actually staying on topic (the song's meaning) and actually getting it correctly (facing and overcoming his illness).<br /> <br /> It is great to find another person on this site who understands what AA/NA & recovery are.
YYEESSSSS!!!
u typed to much so i dint read it