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."
Uh, uh-huh, yeah
Uh, uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh, uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby Goodfellas, uh
Now, what y'all wanna do?
Wanna be ballers? Shot-callers? Brawlers?
Who be dippin' in the Benz wit the spoilers
On the low from the Jake in the Taurus
Tryin' to get my hands on some Grants like Horace
Yeah livin' the raw deal, three course meals spaghetti, fettuccine, and veal
But still, everything's real in the field
And what you can't have now, leave in your will
But don't knock me for tryin' to bury
Seven zeros, over in Rio Dijanery
Ain't nobody's hero, but I wanna be heard
On your Hot 9-7 everyday, that's my word
Swimmin' in women wit' they own condominiums
Five plus Fives, who drive Millineums
It's all about the Benjamins, what?
I get a fifty pound bag of ooh for the mutts
Five carats on my hands wit the cuts
And some'n European figures, fuck the clutch, what? (I want a all chromed out, fuck bein a broke nigga)
Drinkin' malt liquor, drivin' a Bro' Vega
I'm wit Mo' sippers, watched by gold diggers (uh)
Rockin' Bejor denims, wit' gold zippers (c'mon)
Lost your touch? We kept ours, poppin' Cristals
Freakin' the three-quarter reptiles (ahahah)
Enormous cream, forest green, Benz jeep for my team so while you sleep I'ma scheme
We see through, that's why nobody never gon' believe you
You should do what we do, stack chips like Hebrews
Don't let the melody intrigue you (uh-uh)
Cause I leave you, I'm only here
For that green paper with the eagle, I'm strictly tryin' to cop those, colossal sized Picasso's
And have papi flip coke outside Delgado's (whoo!)
Mienda, with cash flowin' like Sosa
And the Latin chick tranportin' in the chocha
Stampedin' over, pop Mo's, never sober
Lex and Range Rovers dealin' weight by Minnesota (uh)
Avoidin NARC's wit camcorders and Chevy Novas (uh-huh)
Stash in the buildin' wit' this chick named Alona (uh-huh)
From Daytona, when I was young I wants to bone her (uh-huh)
But now I only hit chicks that win beauty pageants (hahaha)
Trickin', they takin me skiing, at the Aspens (c'mon)
Uh, gangsta mental, stay poppin' Cristal
Pack a black pist-al in the Ac' Coupe that's dark brown (whoo!)
Pinky-ringin', gondolas wit the man singin'
Italian music down the river wit your chick clingin'
To my bizzalls, player you mad false
Actin' hard when you as pussy as RuPaul
C'mon, c'mon, uh-huh it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby, uh-huh, yeah
Now, what y'all wanna do?
Wanna be ballers, shot-callers brawlers who be dippin' in the Benz wit the spoilers
On the low from the Jake in the Taurus
Uh, uh, what the blood clot?
Wanna bumble wit the Bee hah?
Bzzz, throw a hex on a whole family (yeah, yeah yeah)
Dressed in all black like "The Omen" (say what?)
Have your friends singin' This is for my homey' (that's right)
And you know me, from makin' niggas so sick
Floss in my 6 with the Lex on the wrist
If it's Murder, you know she wrote it (uh-huh)
German Luger for your ass bitch, deep throated
Know you wanna fill the room cause it's platinum coated
Take your pick, got a firearm you shoulda toted, suck a dick
All that bullshit you kick, playa hatin' from the sideline
Get your own shit, why you ridin' mine? (uh-huh)
I'm, a Goodfella kinda lady
Stash 380's and Mercedes, Puffy hold me down baby!
Only female in my crew, and I kick shit
Like a nigga do, with a trigga too, fuck you (Yeah, yeah, uh, uh, uh)
I been had skills, Cristal spills
Hide bills in Brazil, about a mill' to ice grill
Make it hard to figure me, liquor be, kickin' me
In my asshole, uh, undercover, "Donnie Brasco"
Lent my East coast girl, the Bentley to twirl (uh-huh)
My West coast shorty, push the chrome 7-40
Rockin Redman and Naughty, "Oh where my kitty kat?"
Half a brick of yea, in the bra, where her titties at
And I'm livin' that, whole life, we push weight (uh-huh)
Fuck the state pen, fuck hoes at Penn State (c'mon)
Listen close it's Francis, the Praying Mantis
Attack with the Mac, my left hand spit, right hand
Grip on the whip, for the smooth getaway
Playa haters get away or my lead will spray
Squeeze off til I'm empty, don't tempt me
Only, to Hell I send thee, all about the Benji's, what?
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
Uh, uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh, uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby Goodfellas, uh
Now, what y'all wanna do?
Wanna be ballers? Shot-callers? Brawlers?
Who be dippin' in the Benz wit the spoilers
On the low from the Jake in the Taurus
Tryin' to get my hands on some Grants like Horace
Yeah livin' the raw deal, three course meals spaghetti, fettuccine, and veal
But still, everything's real in the field
And what you can't have now, leave in your will
But don't knock me for tryin' to bury
Seven zeros, over in Rio Dijanery
Ain't nobody's hero, but I wanna be heard
On your Hot 9-7 everyday, that's my word
Swimmin' in women wit' they own condominiums
Five plus Fives, who drive Millineums
It's all about the Benjamins, what?
I get a fifty pound bag of ooh for the mutts
Five carats on my hands wit the cuts
And some'n European figures, fuck the clutch, what? (I want a all chromed out, fuck bein a broke nigga)
Drinkin' malt liquor, drivin' a Bro' Vega
I'm wit Mo' sippers, watched by gold diggers (uh)
Rockin' Bejor denims, wit' gold zippers (c'mon)
Lost your touch? We kept ours, poppin' Cristals
Freakin' the three-quarter reptiles (ahahah)
Enormous cream, forest green, Benz jeep for my team so while you sleep I'ma scheme
We see through, that's why nobody never gon' believe you
You should do what we do, stack chips like Hebrews
Don't let the melody intrigue you (uh-uh)
Cause I leave you, I'm only here
For that green paper with the eagle, I'm strictly tryin' to cop those, colossal sized Picasso's
And have papi flip coke outside Delgado's (whoo!)
Mienda, with cash flowin' like Sosa
And the Latin chick tranportin' in the chocha
Stampedin' over, pop Mo's, never sober
Lex and Range Rovers dealin' weight by Minnesota (uh)
Avoidin NARC's wit camcorders and Chevy Novas (uh-huh)
Stash in the buildin' wit' this chick named Alona (uh-huh)
From Daytona, when I was young I wants to bone her (uh-huh)
But now I only hit chicks that win beauty pageants (hahaha)
Trickin', they takin me skiing, at the Aspens (c'mon)
Uh, gangsta mental, stay poppin' Cristal
Pack a black pist-al in the Ac' Coupe that's dark brown (whoo!)
Pinky-ringin', gondolas wit the man singin'
Italian music down the river wit your chick clingin'
To my bizzalls, player you mad false
Actin' hard when you as pussy as RuPaul
C'mon, c'mon, uh-huh it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby
Uh-huh, yeah, it's all about the Benjamins baby, uh-huh, yeah
Now, what y'all wanna do?
Wanna be ballers, shot-callers brawlers who be dippin' in the Benz wit the spoilers
On the low from the Jake in the Taurus
Uh, uh, what the blood clot?
Wanna bumble wit the Bee hah?
Bzzz, throw a hex on a whole family (yeah, yeah yeah)
Dressed in all black like "The Omen" (say what?)
Have your friends singin' This is for my homey' (that's right)
And you know me, from makin' niggas so sick
Floss in my 6 with the Lex on the wrist
If it's Murder, you know she wrote it (uh-huh)
German Luger for your ass bitch, deep throated
Know you wanna fill the room cause it's platinum coated
Take your pick, got a firearm you shoulda toted, suck a dick
All that bullshit you kick, playa hatin' from the sideline
Get your own shit, why you ridin' mine? (uh-huh)
I'm, a Goodfella kinda lady
Stash 380's and Mercedes, Puffy hold me down baby!
Only female in my crew, and I kick shit
Like a nigga do, with a trigga too, fuck you (Yeah, yeah, uh, uh, uh)
I been had skills, Cristal spills
Hide bills in Brazil, about a mill' to ice grill
Make it hard to figure me, liquor be, kickin' me
In my asshole, uh, undercover, "Donnie Brasco"
Lent my East coast girl, the Bentley to twirl (uh-huh)
My West coast shorty, push the chrome 7-40
Rockin Redman and Naughty, "Oh where my kitty kat?"
Half a brick of yea, in the bra, where her titties at
And I'm livin' that, whole life, we push weight (uh-huh)
Fuck the state pen, fuck hoes at Penn State (c'mon)
Listen close it's Francis, the Praying Mantis
Attack with the Mac, my left hand spit, right hand
Grip on the whip, for the smooth getaway
Playa haters get away or my lead will spray
Squeeze off til I'm empty, don't tempt me
Only, to Hell I send thee, all about the Benji's, what?
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
It's all about the Benjamins baby uh-huh, yeah
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
It's All About the Benjamins Lyrics as written by Deric Angelettie Kimberly Jones
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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