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."
What will I find?
Some sacred thing to help me handle the tragedy?
Or did I once–Did I have it and lose it?
No one should ever have to walk through the fire alone.
No one should ever have to brave that storm. No,
Everybody needs someone or something.
And when I sing, don't I sing your name out
Right at the same time that I sing my own?
Some days I swear I can feel you splitting the light through the window frame.
The shapes it makes are always warmer, always brighter than the rest of what comes through.
Some days I swear I can hear you sing to me or whisper my name in the slightest way.
It's like the warmest light now laid across my bedroom floor is somehow actually you and
Not just sunlight.
I have the memory climb down the balcony.
I put a flower on the back of its dress.
It's probably best to forget it.
It's probably best to let go.
I paint it the shade of where the skin and the lip meet,
Only a moment after breaking the kiss. And
I blur out everything else.
That's how I choose to remember it.
Some nights are a lot like the days, I lay awake too late, I watch the shadows casted
Trace your shape. Those silver slivers on the wall then on the bedsheets.
I hear your song in the trees. I finally fall into rest.
Often later when I'm sleeping you show up in my dreams.
Just doing simple things, like buying groceries.
And when I wake up I could swear you must've just left me
Like you got up to make breakfast or maybe just to get dressed.
But the truth is, you were never there. You won't ever be.
Sometimes I think I'm not either so what do I do
When every day still seems to start and end with you?
And you won't ever know, you won't ever see,
How much your ghost since then has been defining me.
I leave the memory up atop the balcony.
I tear this flower from the back of the dress.
It's best this time, I bet, to just forget and let go.
Paint it the shade of where the lip bleeds and blur it out.
I blur out everything else, just blur out everything else.
And let go, and let go, and let go.
Everybody has to let go someday
Everybody has to let go.
I wonder when I will. I wonder.
But if I still hear you singing in every city I meet
After I blur it all out, our every memory, if
You never fade with the days, your shape still haunting me then,
Should I not just sing along?
Should I not just sing along?
I will sing sweetly hope that the notes change but
I do not need it to happen. I'm not resigned to it. And
If they never do I'll sing your name in every line.
Just like I did throughout this. Just like I've always done.
In every gun, the empty church, and every tortured son.
In all those giving up. In all those giving in.
Until I die I will sing our names in unison.
Until I die I will sing our names in unison.
Some sacred thing to help me handle the tragedy?
Or did I once–Did I have it and lose it?
No one should ever have to walk through the fire alone.
No one should ever have to brave that storm. No,
Everybody needs someone or something.
And when I sing, don't I sing your name out
Right at the same time that I sing my own?
Some days I swear I can feel you splitting the light through the window frame.
The shapes it makes are always warmer, always brighter than the rest of what comes through.
Some days I swear I can hear you sing to me or whisper my name in the slightest way.
It's like the warmest light now laid across my bedroom floor is somehow actually you and
Not just sunlight.
I have the memory climb down the balcony.
I put a flower on the back of its dress.
It's probably best to forget it.
It's probably best to let go.
I paint it the shade of where the skin and the lip meet,
Only a moment after breaking the kiss. And
I blur out everything else.
That's how I choose to remember it.
Some nights are a lot like the days, I lay awake too late, I watch the shadows casted
Trace your shape. Those silver slivers on the wall then on the bedsheets.
I hear your song in the trees. I finally fall into rest.
Often later when I'm sleeping you show up in my dreams.
Just doing simple things, like buying groceries.
And when I wake up I could swear you must've just left me
Like you got up to make breakfast or maybe just to get dressed.
But the truth is, you were never there. You won't ever be.
Sometimes I think I'm not either so what do I do
When every day still seems to start and end with you?
And you won't ever know, you won't ever see,
How much your ghost since then has been defining me.
I leave the memory up atop the balcony.
I tear this flower from the back of the dress.
It's best this time, I bet, to just forget and let go.
Paint it the shade of where the lip bleeds and blur it out.
I blur out everything else, just blur out everything else.
And let go, and let go, and let go.
Everybody has to let go someday
Everybody has to let go.
I wonder when I will. I wonder.
But if I still hear you singing in every city I meet
After I blur it all out, our every memory, if
You never fade with the days, your shape still haunting me then,
Should I not just sing along?
Should I not just sing along?
I will sing sweetly hope that the notes change but
I do not need it to happen. I'm not resigned to it. And
If they never do I'll sing your name in every line.
Just like I did throughout this. Just like I've always done.
In every gun, the empty church, and every tortured son.
In all those giving up. In all those giving in.
Until I die I will sing our names in unison.
Until I die I will sing our names in unison.
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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."
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,
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.
What will I find? Some sacred thing to help me handle the tragedy? Or did I once—Did I have it and lose it?
( He's looking for a way to cope with the loss of someone or something. He's asking if one day he'll find something to make it better. Then, he goes back on his statement and asks himself if he had it and then lost it.)
No one should ever have to walk through the fire alone. No one should ever have to brave that storm. No, Everybody needs someone or something.
( Everyone needs that thing or person to keep them going. )
And when I sing, don’t I sing your name out Right at the same time that I sing my own?
( He carries the decisions and mistakes of the other person as well his own. He bears the responsibility of both parties on himself.)
Some days I swear I can feel you splitting the light through the window frame. The shapes it makes are always warmer, always brighter than the rest of what comes through.
( When he thinks about her or feels her presence, he's happy. If not happy, then less sad as he was before. What ever else goes on during the day, nothing compares to that feeling. )
Some days I swear I can hear you sing to me or whisper my name in the slightest way. It’s like the warmest light now laid across my bedroom floor is somehow actually you and Not just sunlight.
( He sometime imagines his love talk to him. It feels so real, that he no longer wants to perceive it as anything but authentic )
I have the memory climb down the balcony. I put a flower on the back of its dress. It’s probably best to forget it. It’s probably best to let go. I paint it the shade of where the skin and the lip meet, Only a moment after breaking the kiss. And I blur out everything else. That’s how I choose to remember it.
( Remembering back to the past, he memorializes the good and decides to forget the bad. )
Some nights are a lot like the days, I lay awake too late, I watch the shadows casted Trace your shape. Those silver slivers on the wall then on the bedsheets. I hear your song in the trees. I finally fall into rest. Often later when I’m sleeping you show up in my dreams. Just doing simple things, like buying groceries. And when I wake up I could swear you must’ve just left me Like you got up to make breakfast or maybe just to get dressed.
( At night or in his dreams, he fantasizes about how it used to be. )
But the truth is, you were never there. You won’t ever be. Sometimes I think I’m not either so what do I do When every day still seems to start and end with you? And you won’t ever know, you won’t ever see, How much your ghost since then has been defining me.
( He's come to the realization that she was and will not be there. He's losing himself in perpetual thoughts of her. Since they're not close anymore, she's not there to witness the aftermath. He still does certain things in hopes that she's watching. )
I leave the memory up atop the balcony. I tear this flower from the back of the dress. It’s best this time, I bet, to just forget and let go. Paint it the shade of where the lip bleeds and blur it out. I blur out everything else, just blur out everything else. And let go, and let go, and let go.
( Deciding to omit the past, he relives the bad and decides to forget the good, letting go. )
Everybody has to let go someday Everybody has to let go.
( Everyone has something or someone they hold on to. Eventually, it'll have to go. )
I wonder when I will. I wonder.
( He thinks about when the time will come )
But if I still hear you singing in every city I meet After I blur it all out, our every memory, if You never fade with the days, your shape still haunting me then, Should I not just sing along? Should I not just sing along?
( If he can't forget, and the past comes back to haunt him, he's wonders what's the point. He's done everything possible to move on. If he can't let go, he's going to decide not to. )
I will sing sweetly hope that the notes change but I do not need it to happen. I’m not resigned to it. And If they never do I’ll sing your name in every line. Just like I did throughout this. Just like I’ve always done. In every gun, the empty church, and every tortured son. In all those giving up. In all those giving in. Until I die I will sing our names in unison.
( He hopes for change, but he's fine whether it happens or not. And if it doesn't, he'll still carry her in his heart. Throughout " Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair and The Worth of the World " and " Wildlife ", he'll continue to relive his past. The line "In every gun, the empty church, and every tortured son." refers to the songs on the album. King Park, St Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues, and Edward Benz, 27 times all told a story of tragedy. For all those who have quit or is about to he reminds them they're not alone. )
Until I die I will sing our names in unison.
( No one struggles alone. )