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."
After the club is the after party.
After the party is the hotel lobby.
And after that you know it's diamond crisp.
And after that I say excuse me miss.
And after that, we go back to the room.
And after that she's gonna leave real soon.
And after that I crack one more beer.
And after that I just stare in the mirror.
And after that I start freakin' out.
What the hell am I doing with my life?
Call up my mom and get my cry on.
I order room service, get my apple pie on.
And after that I just walk the streets.
A homeless dude throws up on my feet.
And I see just how pointless life is.
Full on existential crisis.
Tear off my clothes and scream to the sky.
Fall to my knees and I ask out why.
This night life is killin' me.
I think I'm losin' my mind.
I yearn to fly yet I see crystalline tears in my dreams.
After that I drive into the hills and trade my car for a bottle of pills.
And after that I'm on a fishin' quest.
Put my mind body and soul to the test.
And after that, I meet my totem spirit.
It's a rattle snake so I have to kill it.
And I drink all it's blood and steal it's powers,
And I slither around in the dirt for hours.
And after that I start jerkin' off.
Up on a mountain jerkin' off.
Down by the river jerkin' off.
And that's when I had my epiphany.
You can't spend your whole life jerkin' off.
And after that, I'm goin' back to the city.
This night life is killin' me.
No more jerkin off.
He only knows what's in store, crystalline tears for me no more.
And after that, I clean up my life, join AA to make it right.
And after that, I get my thirty day chip.
And after that, I go sell a bit.
And after that, I'm a whole new man.
Brew kombucha in my hybrid van.
I give my life to meditation.
Then sleep with a whore at a Greyhound station.
Then after that, I have a full relapse.
Lose my hand in a game of craps.
And after that everyone calls me claw.
And after that I work for Tim McGraw.
And after that I pass out in the sewer.
Meet a giant fish, fuck it's brains out.
And after that, I feel this change.
No one but myself to blame, nothing in my heart but pain.
Next week we're gonna do it again.
This night life's caused most in me.
I'm back to jerkin' off.
I tried but could not break free, crystalline tears return to me.
Better in the club then he moved to the hills.
Then he freaked out and drank snake blood.
Got himself clean, now back in the club,
And that's why I've been in this song.
(After the club is after party.
After the party is the hotel lobby.
Stuck in a cycle, I just can't win. And after that it all happens again.)
Crystalline tears.
This playboy life's too much for me.
(After the club is after party.
After the party is the hotel lobby.
Stuck in a cycle, I just can't win.
And after that it all happens again.)
After the party is the hotel lobby.
And after that you know it's diamond crisp.
And after that I say excuse me miss.
And after that, we go back to the room.
And after that she's gonna leave real soon.
And after that I crack one more beer.
And after that I just stare in the mirror.
And after that I start freakin' out.
What the hell am I doing with my life?
Call up my mom and get my cry on.
I order room service, get my apple pie on.
And after that I just walk the streets.
A homeless dude throws up on my feet.
And I see just how pointless life is.
Full on existential crisis.
Tear off my clothes and scream to the sky.
Fall to my knees and I ask out why.
This night life is killin' me.
I think I'm losin' my mind.
I yearn to fly yet I see crystalline tears in my dreams.
After that I drive into the hills and trade my car for a bottle of pills.
And after that I'm on a fishin' quest.
Put my mind body and soul to the test.
And after that, I meet my totem spirit.
It's a rattle snake so I have to kill it.
And I drink all it's blood and steal it's powers,
And I slither around in the dirt for hours.
And after that I start jerkin' off.
Up on a mountain jerkin' off.
Down by the river jerkin' off.
And that's when I had my epiphany.
You can't spend your whole life jerkin' off.
And after that, I'm goin' back to the city.
This night life is killin' me.
No more jerkin off.
He only knows what's in store, crystalline tears for me no more.
And after that, I clean up my life, join AA to make it right.
And after that, I get my thirty day chip.
And after that, I go sell a bit.
And after that, I'm a whole new man.
Brew kombucha in my hybrid van.
I give my life to meditation.
Then sleep with a whore at a Greyhound station.
Then after that, I have a full relapse.
Lose my hand in a game of craps.
And after that everyone calls me claw.
And after that I work for Tim McGraw.
And after that I pass out in the sewer.
Meet a giant fish, fuck it's brains out.
And after that, I feel this change.
No one but myself to blame, nothing in my heart but pain.
Next week we're gonna do it again.
This night life's caused most in me.
I'm back to jerkin' off.
I tried but could not break free, crystalline tears return to me.
Better in the club then he moved to the hills.
Then he freaked out and drank snake blood.
Got himself clean, now back in the club,
And that's why I've been in this song.
(After the club is after party.
After the party is the hotel lobby.
Stuck in a cycle, I just can't win. And after that it all happens again.)
Crystalline tears.
This playboy life's too much for me.
(After the club is after party.
After the party is the hotel lobby.
Stuck in a cycle, I just can't win.
And after that it all happens again.)
Lyrics submitted by pru, edited by passionatesleepyhead, MrHorrible
After Party Lyrics as written by A Samberg Mats Midttun
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Unison Rights S.L., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
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.
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.
"Sell a bit" should be "celibate".
"stalling tears" should be "Cristal and tears"
To join in with the corrections:
"Put my mind, body, and spirit to the test" should be "Put my mind, body, and SOUL to the test"
"This nightlife carves hooks in me" should be "This nightlife's got its hooks in me"
"And that's where I've been in this song" should be "And that's what happened in this song"
and I'm pretty sure "Brew complimentary in my hybrid van" should be "Brew kombucha (a type of herbal tea) in my hybrid van".
Can't be sure it's that but I'd guess it is. It's definitely not "brew complimentary".
The overall meaning is that your should be wasting time jerking off ALL THE TIME