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."
Better than cream cheese and bagels
Better than honey on bread
Better than champagne and pretzels
Better than breakfast in bed
Better than chili rellenos
Better than chocolate e'clairs
Better than hothouse tomatoes
Better than fresh Bartlett pears
Better than dining a la carte
Or simply gastronomic art
Better than anything except being in love
Better than making a million
Better than being a queen
Better than oil wells and gold mines
Better than pastures of green
Better than finding a horseshoe
Better than losing your head
Better than anything ever thought of
Better than anything ever said
Ah, ha, better than singing right out loud
Or being, ha, spotted in a crowd
Better than (better than anything) anything except being (except being) in love
(Musical Interlude)
Better than elephants, elephants are dancing
Better than clowns on parade
Better than peanuts and popcorn
Better than pink lemonade
Better than rides on the midway
Better than seals blowing horns
Better than men shot through cannons
Better than fresh ears of corn
Ah, better than balancing on a wire
Or watching tigers jump through fire
Better than anything except being in love
Better than driving 'round the park
Or watching fireflies after the dark
Better than anything except being in love
Hey, Diana?
Yeah?
Are you sure that love is even better than shopping?
Well, there's a little sale on late floor at Barneys but it's still better
Oh, come on, come on
What about that thirty percent sale at Jimmy's shoes
And Sachs Friends and Family Day? Ha?
Still better
Well, maybe close second
Very close second
Better, more better
Better, better, better
Better than honey on bread
Better than champagne and pretzels
Better than breakfast in bed
Better than chili rellenos
Better than chocolate e'clairs
Better than hothouse tomatoes
Better than fresh Bartlett pears
Better than dining a la carte
Or simply gastronomic art
Better than anything except being in love
Better than making a million
Better than being a queen
Better than oil wells and gold mines
Better than pastures of green
Better than finding a horseshoe
Better than losing your head
Better than anything ever thought of
Better than anything ever said
Ah, ha, better than singing right out loud
Or being, ha, spotted in a crowd
Better than (better than anything) anything except being (except being) in love
(Musical Interlude)
Better than elephants, elephants are dancing
Better than clowns on parade
Better than peanuts and popcorn
Better than pink lemonade
Better than rides on the midway
Better than seals blowing horns
Better than men shot through cannons
Better than fresh ears of corn
Ah, better than balancing on a wire
Or watching tigers jump through fire
Better than anything except being in love
Better than driving 'round the park
Or watching fireflies after the dark
Better than anything except being in love
Hey, Diana?
Yeah?
Are you sure that love is even better than shopping?
Well, there's a little sale on late floor at Barneys but it's still better
Oh, come on, come on
What about that thirty percent sale at Jimmy's shoes
And Sachs Friends and Family Day? Ha?
Still better
Well, maybe close second
Very close second
Better, more better
Better, better, better
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Better Than Anything Lyrics as written by Dave Wheat Bill Loughborough
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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something about these lyrics frustrate me, and i'll tell you what it is.
i believe the intent is to express that there is nothing better than love, however, instead the song lists numerous pleasurable items and activities that "something" is better than. this 'something' is better than all of those things, the only thing it isn't better than is being in love.
so what frustrates me is that this something is never identified, and i don't even think it exists in the songwriter's head, as mentioned above i think the point is that nothing is better than love. however due to the way it was written, there apparently is something just below love but still better than all of these other things. funny how that bugs me so.