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."
if you call me at three
be ready, and let's meet
on my way up to the studio
i practice on the beat
that's my shit
i got here
you got there
right on time
feadz and j-mat on the track
and my voice got to shine
all the time
call me uffie
little girl full of static
making money up in here
to get back
i'm magnetic
i'm a yak
pacific ocean west side's where i'm at
you know where we are going after that
after that
after that
cruising east with the boat it's where it's at
and we stop and get to swim with the sharks
with the sharks
with the sharks
with the sharks
i know how to play that
i'm arriving at the house with my face a pussycat
and the ass
you want the big money?
i want the big money
and i'mma get what i want 'cause i am not a dummy
you know you want it shorty, you know you want it baby
and i got people working hard just to make it happen
this how we do, uffie
you got the new uffie
and you got right to complain 'cause i am fucking lazy
but yeah i look right
and yes i smell right
i spending money on this shit
you know i keep it tight
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
i got
i got
i i got
all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
on my back
who says uffie's a dumb bitch?
i don't go online
i been reading some dumb shit
(dismissed!) you bitches mad?
work your palm a weekend
to make enough cred to survive the whole month, and
(this don't feel like work for me)
i bought some clothes and shit
excellency of the material
you don't get none of this
oh you're a h&m?
i'm paul smith, bitch (ding!)
i got a h&e
you got an empty fridge, bitch
(how long this dude been there?) not me, i eat good
start with fresh orange juice
and finish with grey goose
(who i gotta fuck to get some cranberries?)
you want the life i live
doing nothing illegal
but i feel like a thief
give me everything you got, bitch
with no guns or knife
i'd be the last one here to start up a fight
(we're gonna need bodyguards on this one)
we came to rock the whole room
give me a loud mic and i'll break up the roof
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
i got
i got
i i got
all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
on my back
okay so um, where to park the cadillac
it has to be green
green cadillac on the left side
get all set, the stage
a alright
now we're gonna need to train monkeys
can we train 'em to throw some peanuts
so maybe the audience might finish the track
can we do that, do they work?
anyway, how many monkeys do we have?
is it the cute monkeys like in a michael jackson video?
do they have like clothes on and shit
maybe they'll wear sailor costumes
that's what i need
(not sure, but i tried. the vocals are hard to hear clearly)
be ready, and let's meet
on my way up to the studio
i practice on the beat
that's my shit
i got here
you got there
right on time
feadz and j-mat on the track
and my voice got to shine
all the time
call me uffie
little girl full of static
making money up in here
to get back
i'm magnetic
i'm a yak
pacific ocean west side's where i'm at
you know where we are going after that
after that
after that
cruising east with the boat it's where it's at
and we stop and get to swim with the sharks
with the sharks
with the sharks
with the sharks
i know how to play that
i'm arriving at the house with my face a pussycat
and the ass
you want the big money?
i want the big money
and i'mma get what i want 'cause i am not a dummy
you know you want it shorty, you know you want it baby
and i got people working hard just to make it happen
this how we do, uffie
you got the new uffie
and you got right to complain 'cause i am fucking lazy
but yeah i look right
and yes i smell right
i spending money on this shit
you know i keep it tight
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
i got
i got
i i got
all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
on my back
who says uffie's a dumb bitch?
i don't go online
i been reading some dumb shit
(dismissed!) you bitches mad?
work your palm a weekend
to make enough cred to survive the whole month, and
(this don't feel like work for me)
i bought some clothes and shit
excellency of the material
you don't get none of this
oh you're a h&m?
i'm paul smith, bitch (ding!)
i got a h&e
you got an empty fridge, bitch
(how long this dude been there?) not me, i eat good
start with fresh orange juice
and finish with grey goose
(who i gotta fuck to get some cranberries?)
you want the life i live
doing nothing illegal
but i feel like a thief
give me everything you got, bitch
with no guns or knife
i'd be the last one here to start up a fight
(we're gonna need bodyguards on this one)
we came to rock the whole room
give me a loud mic and i'll break up the roof
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
fuck what you bitches saying
fuck what you bitches saying
i got dope in my brain
i got
i got
i i got
all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
i got all the bitches screaming
and the boys on my back
on my back
okay so um, where to park the cadillac
it has to be green
green cadillac on the left side
get all set, the stage
a alright
now we're gonna need to train monkeys
can we train 'em to throw some peanuts
so maybe the audience might finish the track
can we do that, do they work?
anyway, how many monkeys do we have?
is it the cute monkeys like in a michael jackson video?
do they have like clothes on and shit
maybe they'll wear sailor costumes
that's what i need
(not sure, but i tried. the vocals are hard to hear clearly)
Lyrics submitted by folie
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
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.
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.
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.
This is what I hear at the end:
can we train 'em to throw some peanuts so maybe the audience might finish the track
is it the cute monkeys like in a michael jackson video? do they have like clothes on and shit maybe they'll wear sailor costumes
The rest are pretty spot on (good job)