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."
Like luck, like a star,
you've been getting old now,
stay young, you'll go far,
leave your bedroom door ajar.
I'm gonna make you a star
in the hills, in the plains, in the land,
they'll all see ya baby,
they'll say you're alright
I'll take you on to your knees
in the day, in the dark, in the night,
you know empty bottles,
you know it's alright, it's alright,
and I said please
You make your way in the night
like a bird around a flame,
limpin' on your short legs,
you stumbled and you begged
You watch the rich with their ease,
with their cash, with their sleep in their beds,
but the rest they get is wicked,a pin fed camels head,
tell yourself that oh you're dead
We've been waiting here all night
for a glimpse of the light that you fake,
you don't need it for real now,
you just need it to rain
Let's all get on our knees,
to the day, to the dark, to the night,
you know empty bottles,
you know it's alright, it's alright,
and I said please
Some of this may not be right, but for the most part i believe it is. Elisa Ambrogio is a lyrical genius.
you've been getting old now,
stay young, you'll go far,
leave your bedroom door ajar.
I'm gonna make you a star
in the hills, in the plains, in the land,
they'll all see ya baby,
they'll say you're alright
I'll take you on to your knees
in the day, in the dark, in the night,
you know empty bottles,
you know it's alright, it's alright,
and I said please
You make your way in the night
like a bird around a flame,
limpin' on your short legs,
you stumbled and you begged
You watch the rich with their ease,
with their cash, with their sleep in their beds,
but the rest they get is wicked,a pin fed camels head,
tell yourself that oh you're dead
We've been waiting here all night
for a glimpse of the light that you fake,
you don't need it for real now,
you just need it to rain
Let's all get on our knees,
to the day, to the dark, to the night,
you know empty bottles,
you know it's alright, it's alright,
and I said please
Some of this may not be right, but for the most part i believe it is. Elisa Ambrogio is a lyrical genius.
Lyrics submitted by hungreeFurby, edited by hibakusha
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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."
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.