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."
at the alter of your departure
repenting on bended knee
while you pull away from that barbed embrace
you stop waiting on the absentee
sever and split
the amputee
the phantom limb
buried in apologies overdue
and calling out with those muffled hymns
stargazing drifting refugee
you are a light bound life boat
i'll follow you to any destination
if you'll keep me afloat
and we've got to stop shoving and reaching
across these fault lines
cut the precious stone
and i will stand beside you through the seasons of air
or I will fall on my own
and you say you want that simple life
well you know I'm no simple man
but I will surrender myself to you completely
if you want me, take my shaking hands
stargazing drifting refugee
you are a light bound life boat
i'll follow you to any destination
if you'll keep me afloat
we're still searching for those happy endings
and it'll take some time
I want to look back on these chicken scratch years
with you in my arms
with some _____? bar smiles intertwined
repenting on bended knee
while you pull away from that barbed embrace
you stop waiting on the absentee
sever and split
the amputee
the phantom limb
buried in apologies overdue
and calling out with those muffled hymns
stargazing drifting refugee
you are a light bound life boat
i'll follow you to any destination
if you'll keep me afloat
and we've got to stop shoving and reaching
across these fault lines
cut the precious stone
and i will stand beside you through the seasons of air
or I will fall on my own
and you say you want that simple life
well you know I'm no simple man
but I will surrender myself to you completely
if you want me, take my shaking hands
stargazing drifting refugee
you are a light bound life boat
i'll follow you to any destination
if you'll keep me afloat
we're still searching for those happy endings
and it'll take some time
I want to look back on these chicken scratch years
with you in my arms
with some _____? bar smiles intertwined
Lyrics submitted by HellionChild
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