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."
You let me into your life on a whim
And there was magic and fire in the night
In loving I was just a little boy
I made mistakes that caused you so much pain
All I know is that I'm older now
Some people think that it's best to refrain
From the conventions of old-fashioned love
Their hearts are filled with holes and emptiness
They tell themselves that they're too young to settle down
Girl I promise that I'm older now
And this has been hard enough on you
I know it's been hard enough on me
Been telling myself that I can roll with the changes
And when the water gets high above your head
Darling don't you see,
While this has been hard enough on you
It's been hard enough on me
I wasn't looking when we built these walls
Let me spread my dreams at your feet
Let's not let time's bitter flood rise
Before my thoughts begin to run
I think I'm getting older now
And this has been hard enough on you
I know it's been hard enough on me
Been telling myself that I can roll with the changes
And when the water gets high above your head
Darling don't you see,
While this has been hard enough on you
It's been hard enough on me
Can't stand the thought of another, talking to you sweet my dear
Where would I be tonight if you hadn't held me here, in your arms?
And this has been hard enough on you
I know it's been hard enough on me
Been telling myself that I can roll with the changes
And when the water gets high above your head
Darling don't you see,
While this has been hard enough on you
It's been hard enough on me
And there was magic and fire in the night
In loving I was just a little boy
I made mistakes that caused you so much pain
All I know is that I'm older now
Some people think that it's best to refrain
From the conventions of old-fashioned love
Their hearts are filled with holes and emptiness
They tell themselves that they're too young to settle down
Girl I promise that I'm older now
And this has been hard enough on you
I know it's been hard enough on me
Been telling myself that I can roll with the changes
And when the water gets high above your head
Darling don't you see,
While this has been hard enough on you
It's been hard enough on me
I wasn't looking when we built these walls
Let me spread my dreams at your feet
Let's not let time's bitter flood rise
Before my thoughts begin to run
I think I'm getting older now
And this has been hard enough on you
I know it's been hard enough on me
Been telling myself that I can roll with the changes
And when the water gets high above your head
Darling don't you see,
While this has been hard enough on you
It's been hard enough on me
Can't stand the thought of another, talking to you sweet my dear
Where would I be tonight if you hadn't held me here, in your arms?
And this has been hard enough on you
I know it's been hard enough on me
Been telling myself that I can roll with the changes
And when the water gets high above your head
Darling don't you see,
While this has been hard enough on you
It's been hard enough on me
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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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I am not sure that this song means anything about marriage, I personally took it as a letter to an ex. Might help that I am in a similar situation but i think of a younger guy that has just broken up with his girlfriend. really messed it up, "I made mistakes that caused you so much pain". But since then has grown up, didn't understand what love was when he entered the relationship. "All I know is that I'm older now". What she might not understand that even though he made the big mistakes and she did the breaking up it has been extremely hard on him as well. Even though she might think that she possesses the only reason to be sad. "While this has been hard enough on you It's been hard enough on me". I think that the guy has a new understanding of life not right or wrong but merely experiences, interpreted however the individual feels is correct. "Where would I be tonight if you hadn't held me here, in your arms?" Meaning that he is thankful for the time that he was able to spend with her. And that it has shaped who he is today. The guy always has doubts though as evidenced, by "Been telling myself that I can roll with the changes". I could definitely be wrong, but the best part about lyrics or any written word is that once the author writes it he no longer owns the work, the people who read it make their own meaning of it.
Correcto, pienso exactamente igual porque también pasé por una situación igual con una ex-novia y la canción ajusta perfectamente. Sin embargo hay algo que me confunde y es la frase "Donde estarÃa esta noche si tu no hubieras sujetado aquÃ, entre tus brazos?" Creo que de todos modos parece que están juntos todavÃa, no?<br /> <br /> That´s right, I think exactly the same because I was in a similar situation with my ex-g. However there´s something that confuses me, is the phrase: "Where would i be tonight, if you hadn´t held me here, in your arms?" It seems that they´re still together, right?