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."
Vandals in ermine
Rip city skylines
Dodge truth and virtue
With slick city bylines
A paragon of virtue
Until they hurt you
In power and in status
We know they hate us
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Power is preaching
The virtues of poverty
Poor are left feeding
On cruel comedy...sad laughter
Rescue us all now
From fumes that choke us
Shift then these sad lives
Into sweet focus
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Prestige it sits high
On mammons alter
Porsche hungry pinheads
On champagne and oysters
Head full of hollow thoughts
Handful of sushi
Plug into dallas babe
Plug into dynasty
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Now i am loving
Where once i was hating
Leading a good life
Stopped paging satan
Played devils advocate
So many times
Lived in the shadows
But the sun will shine. shine. shine
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Where is the kingdom?
You say we squander?
Where the hell is the heaven?
Must we wait much longer?
Rip city skylines
Dodge truth and virtue
With slick city bylines
A paragon of virtue
Until they hurt you
In power and in status
We know they hate us
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Power is preaching
The virtues of poverty
Poor are left feeding
On cruel comedy...sad laughter
Rescue us all now
From fumes that choke us
Shift then these sad lives
Into sweet focus
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Prestige it sits high
On mammons alter
Porsche hungry pinheads
On champagne and oysters
Head full of hollow thoughts
Handful of sushi
Plug into dallas babe
Plug into dynasty
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Now i am loving
Where once i was hating
Leading a good life
Stopped paging satan
Played devils advocate
So many times
Lived in the shadows
But the sun will shine. shine. shine
So where is the heaven
And where is there love?
Where the hell is the heaven?
That you're so proud of
Where is the kingdom?
You say we squander?
Where the hell is the heaven?
Must we wait much longer?
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Where is the Heaven Lyrics as written by Fry White
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.