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."
Used to dream of time machines
Now it's been said, we're post-everything
As a child, imagining
Neckties and coastlines
I've seen the show, man, what a sight
Drenched us in approximated sunlight
The crowd was small and mostly blind, but kind
You're too kind
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
There you go again, on that circular trip
Lick the solar plex of some L.A. shaman
I'm out of breath, man, I'd better sit
Been living hard, living
All I do, all I do, all I do, all I do
Is I follow you, I follow you around
Well, I wouldn't waste another thought
On what is fair and what is not
The Quinceanera dress she bought
Was unstitched with bullets
All the guests in the garden screamed
Women and tires squealing
Such opulence, such misery
Unwinding, unwinding
All I do, all I do, all I do, all I do
Is I follow you, I follow you around
All I do, all I do, all I do, all I do
Is I follow you, I follow you around
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now it's been said, we're post-everything
As a child, imagining
Neckties and coastlines
I've seen the show, man, what a sight
Drenched us in approximated sunlight
The crowd was small and mostly blind, but kind
You're too kind
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
There you go again, on that circular trip
Lick the solar plex of some L.A. shaman
I'm out of breath, man, I'd better sit
Been living hard, living
All I do, all I do, all I do, all I do
Is I follow you, I follow you around
Well, I wouldn't waste another thought
On what is fair and what is not
The Quinceanera dress she bought
Was unstitched with bullets
All the guests in the garden screamed
Women and tires squealing
Such opulence, such misery
Unwinding, unwinding
All I do, all I do, all I do, all I do
Is I follow you, I follow you around
All I do, all I do, all I do, all I do
Is I follow you, I follow you around
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
Now you are how you were when you were real
Lyrics submitted by littlebabykatie
Approximate Sunlight [Companion Version] Lyrics as written by Nathaniel Walcott Conor M Oberst
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Hes commenting on the the postmodern nature of society, how everything we imagined as children is realized in maturity to be a falsified replication of past romanticized ideals. The Quinceañera dress verses are probably a commentary on the violence in Latin American countries associated with drugs. Its a difficult situation to analyze since innocent deaths are obviously not "fair," but neither is the fact that the people performing the violence are merely acting out of necessity to earn money to provide for their family's. "Now you are how you were when you were real ," I think is a contemplation on what Truth is, and the revelation of it. Is it only a reflection of your own distorted perceptions or is it like how it was when "you were real," honest and pure as in the time of your childhood, which paradoxically may have been a distorted perception itself.
i agree with you completely. i posted my thoughts on the song below. let me know what you think!
I also agree. well worded. I really dig how active conor oberst is with the latino community.