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're standing with your suitcase
But you can't step on the train
Everything's the way that you left it
I still haven't slept yet
And if you're covering your face now
But you just can't hide the pain
Still setting two plates on the counter but eating without you
If the truth is you're a liar
Then just say that you're okay
I'm sleeping on your side of the bed
Goin' out of my head now
And if you're out there tryna move on
But something pulls you back again
I'm sitting here tryna persuade you like you're in the same room
And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder
And I wish you could still give me a hard time
And I wish I could still wish it was over
But even if wishing is a waste of time
Even if I never cross your mind
I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
Oh if you ever come back, if you ever come back
Now they say I'm wasting my time
'Cause you're never comin' home
But they used to say the world was flat
But how wrong was that now?
And by leavin' my door open
I'm riskin' everything I own
There's nothing I can lose in a break-in that you haven't taken
And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder
And I wish you can still give me a hard time
And I wish I could still wish it was over
But even if wishing is a waste of time
Even if I never cross your mind
I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
Oh, if you ever come back, if you ever come back
If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
I know you're out there somewhere so just remember this
If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
Oh just remember this, oh just remember this
I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
Oh, if you ever come back, if you ever come back
And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
But you can't step on the train
Everything's the way that you left it
I still haven't slept yet
And if you're covering your face now
But you just can't hide the pain
Still setting two plates on the counter but eating without you
If the truth is you're a liar
Then just say that you're okay
I'm sleeping on your side of the bed
Goin' out of my head now
And if you're out there tryna move on
But something pulls you back again
I'm sitting here tryna persuade you like you're in the same room
And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder
And I wish you could still give me a hard time
And I wish I could still wish it was over
But even if wishing is a waste of time
Even if I never cross your mind
I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
Oh if you ever come back, if you ever come back
Now they say I'm wasting my time
'Cause you're never comin' home
But they used to say the world was flat
But how wrong was that now?
And by leavin' my door open
I'm riskin' everything I own
There's nothing I can lose in a break-in that you haven't taken
And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder
And I wish you can still give me a hard time
And I wish I could still wish it was over
But even if wishing is a waste of time
Even if I never cross your mind
I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
Oh, if you ever come back, if you ever come back
If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
I know you're out there somewhere so just remember this
If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
Oh just remember this, oh just remember this
I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
Oh, if you ever come back, if you ever come back
And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
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.
It's about a break up and wanting to be back together with that person, even if it still means being trapped in that hell that is the ending of a relationship - he's willing to put up with her giving him the cold shoulder, a hard time, and actually being able to wish the relationship was over. He's willing to suffer through it if it means he is with her again.
Despite how she has treated him and how the relationship crumbled, he still leaves his door open to her if she does ever decide to come back. He will keep everything the same for her and they can pretend that nothing's happened and go back to normal.
He's so desperate for her to just come home and return to him and the relationship. People are telling him that she isn't going to come back but is in somewhat of a denial, refusing to believe a word of it, saying that 'they used to say the world was flat but how wrong was that now', hoping his friends are wrong too.
It's a track about ending something with someone really special to you and still wanting to be with them - doing anything in your power to get them back.
For me this is another favourite - and in many ways seems like the sequel to 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'.
yes i see what you mean<br /> i always think of it as the man who cant be moved but toned down a bit
This song is my life for the past two and a half months. For someone to write these lyrics...there's a story there. If you haven't lived through this type of pain, you could never describe it so eloquently.
I personally think its about a more serious relationship then a girl and boy. I think it's about a parent losing their child, their child has left home due to a broken relationship with their parent. The parent is pleeding for the child to return.
<br /> "im sleeping on your side of the bed goin out of my head now"<br /> your sick
That, actually, is NOT the meaning of this song... the script did an interview with video hits saying the true meaning of this song. it was actually written about a child who is having problems at home and decides to run away.. it is written from the parents point of view... watch the music video, u will see that i am rigghttt!!!
Yourwrong123
Haven't seen the interview or the music video, but this does fit the lyrics.<br /> <br /> The beauty of a great song is when 10 different people can listen to the same song and each of them see it differently and relate it to their own lives. And this song can definitely do that. Just because this was the original intent doesn't mean that the other 9 people are wrong.
I think that this song is about someone leaving. be it a break up or them dying or a kid that leaves home or even being left emotionally. and you are hoping this person will come back and when they do, it will be like they never left, because u want them to come back to you so badly.
Maddiegreen, well said. Couldn't have explained it better.
can't.stop.listening.to.this.song
i think its "and by leaving my door open im RISKING everything i own" but i could be wrong
your right!!!!
This song has accurately described my feeling 2 years ago, which lasted for almost a year. I found that this song and "Dead man walking" are my favorites from this album, because they perfectly described my situation and feelings
And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder And I wish you can still give me a hard time And I wish I could still wish it was over But even if wishing is a waste of time Even if I never cross your mind
These lyrics just strike me as ironic. You would rather go back to the way it was when you were unhappy than to live currently with what you did in attempt to be happy, especially the line "I wish I could still wish it was over"
and sadly, I can relate