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."
Folks say my daddy wasn't much of a man
For disobeying the laws of the land
Folks say that my daddy wasn't fit to kill
Oh and I know it was true what the people said
Cause we'd all've been better of dead
Than to live a life of shame and strife
Cause of daddy's moonshine still
My mama was always sweet and kind
But she grew old before her time
Worryin' about the way we had to live
Yeah my daddy put the wrinkles in my mama's face
He drunk his share of all he made
And just one more reason I grew to hate
My daddy's moonshine still
Chorus:
Daddy's moonshine still was good for nothin'
But to break mama's heart
And to tear our home apart
Make our lives a livin' hell
Them old mason jars that daddy made us wash
And set them out to sun on our back porch
'Til he got ready to take 'em up on the hill
And when daddy got word of the revenue
He made us kids help hide his brew
Made us swear that we never knew
About daddy's moonshine still
Yeah and two of my brothers drove across the state line
Once a week with a load of moonshine
And the wounds that came from that won't ever heal
Cause on a moonshine run one rainy night
My two brothers lost their lives
And oh my god how I despise
My daddy's moonshine still
Repeat Chorus
Well it broke mama's heart but she understood
The day that I left home for good
But I had to find me another way to live
Well I sent mama money nearly every day
And how I made it, well I'd rather not say
But at least it took me far away
From daddy's moonshine still
My bootlegging daddy was known quite well
And he made our home a livin' hell
And I ain't forgot it and I know that I never will
My mama finally died she just gave up
And daddy finally died from drinkin' that stuff
And bad memories haunt the rest of us
From daddy's moonshine still
Repeat Chorus
For disobeying the laws of the land
Folks say that my daddy wasn't fit to kill
Oh and I know it was true what the people said
Cause we'd all've been better of dead
Than to live a life of shame and strife
Cause of daddy's moonshine still
My mama was always sweet and kind
But she grew old before her time
Worryin' about the way we had to live
Yeah my daddy put the wrinkles in my mama's face
He drunk his share of all he made
And just one more reason I grew to hate
My daddy's moonshine still
Chorus:
Daddy's moonshine still was good for nothin'
But to break mama's heart
And to tear our home apart
Make our lives a livin' hell
Them old mason jars that daddy made us wash
And set them out to sun on our back porch
'Til he got ready to take 'em up on the hill
And when daddy got word of the revenue
He made us kids help hide his brew
Made us swear that we never knew
About daddy's moonshine still
Yeah and two of my brothers drove across the state line
Once a week with a load of moonshine
And the wounds that came from that won't ever heal
Cause on a moonshine run one rainy night
My two brothers lost their lives
And oh my god how I despise
My daddy's moonshine still
Repeat Chorus
Well it broke mama's heart but she understood
The day that I left home for good
But I had to find me another way to live
Well I sent mama money nearly every day
And how I made it, well I'd rather not say
But at least it took me far away
From daddy's moonshine still
My bootlegging daddy was known quite well
And he made our home a livin' hell
And I ain't forgot it and I know that I never will
My mama finally died she just gave up
And daddy finally died from drinkin' that stuff
And bad memories haunt the rest of us
From daddy's moonshine still
Repeat Chorus
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Daddy's Moonshine Still Lyrics as written by Dolly Parton
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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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,
When We Were Young
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Punchline
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“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.