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."
1, 2, 1, 2
I am the dominating Fresh Kid Ice
And I am the Brother Marquis, Marquis your brother
And introducing to you on the two turntables
The Treach DJ Mr. Mixx
Word, word, word, word, word
We get the red carpet treatment 'cause we're well respected
Always accepted and never rejected
Our defense is made when we take the stage
The crowd gets excited and goes in a rage
'Cause we're generating and demonstrating
All of the talents that we're accumulating
And by doing this we'll go real far
Because 2 Live is what we are
We're highly publicized and advertised
Our music's in your ear, our face in your eyes
We're good to go and goin' to be good
We've done the right thing like you knew we would
Because we are here for your dancing pleasure
With our microphones 'cause that's what we treasure
Now, the man, you see, who has hands of magic
His name is Mr. Mixx, so come on an' scratch it
You can call me Brother Marquis, Marquis your brother
The T E S T, I pass with with flying colors
I'm capable and on the case
Gettin' straight to the point, with no time to waste
The point is that this party needs to be rocked
With drummin' thumpin' beats around the clock
From odds to outspoken to opinionated
In need of a rhyme, I will create it
The best is yet to come with much, much more
You got me rockin' you with my rhymes galore
Now, my rhymes won't stop, my rhymes won't quit
Just give me the mic and I rock it
On to the break of dawn
I will rock y'all to the early morn
'Cause I'm the demonstrating, the dominating
Annihilator, brutalor, MC-hating
So, all MC's must step on off
'Cause I'm lettin' you know who's the boss
Now, Kid Ice, you know you're twice as nice
Why don't you get up on the mic and start to recite?
'Cause they call me Kid Ice, the ladies' fire
When I enter a room, ladies fill we desire
Anytime I'm good, yes, on the mic
I said the girls keep comin' back every night
'Cause I dress so fresh, my voice is clean
I can rock party people, yes, even the Queen
In England, Germany, France and Japan
The ladies know that I'm the man
Who keep 'em from the kitchen, just doin' their dishes
'Cause I have 'em in bed fulfillin' their wishes
I got a degree in makin' love
Yes, I got it from my father just up above
I could take a girl from any man
With a twitch of my lips or wave of a hand
So, to all you guys out there tonight
Grab your girl, hold her tight
Say treat her with respect and treat her right
'Cause I might be in town for just one night
Word
Do it
1, 2, 3, 4, 4
5, 6, do it, do it
We're, we're, we're here
We're back, back, back, back
Back
Back
Back
...
I am the dominating Fresh Kid Ice
And I am the Brother Marquis, Marquis your brother
And introducing to you on the two turntables
The Treach DJ Mr. Mixx
Word, word, word, word, word
We get the red carpet treatment 'cause we're well respected
Always accepted and never rejected
Our defense is made when we take the stage
The crowd gets excited and goes in a rage
'Cause we're generating and demonstrating
All of the talents that we're accumulating
And by doing this we'll go real far
Because 2 Live is what we are
We're highly publicized and advertised
Our music's in your ear, our face in your eyes
We're good to go and goin' to be good
We've done the right thing like you knew we would
Because we are here for your dancing pleasure
With our microphones 'cause that's what we treasure
Now, the man, you see, who has hands of magic
His name is Mr. Mixx, so come on an' scratch it
You can call me Brother Marquis, Marquis your brother
The T E S T, I pass with with flying colors
I'm capable and on the case
Gettin' straight to the point, with no time to waste
The point is that this party needs to be rocked
With drummin' thumpin' beats around the clock
From odds to outspoken to opinionated
In need of a rhyme, I will create it
The best is yet to come with much, much more
You got me rockin' you with my rhymes galore
Now, my rhymes won't stop, my rhymes won't quit
Just give me the mic and I rock it
On to the break of dawn
I will rock y'all to the early morn
'Cause I'm the demonstrating, the dominating
Annihilator, brutalor, MC-hating
So, all MC's must step on off
'Cause I'm lettin' you know who's the boss
Now, Kid Ice, you know you're twice as nice
Why don't you get up on the mic and start to recite?
'Cause they call me Kid Ice, the ladies' fire
When I enter a room, ladies fill we desire
Anytime I'm good, yes, on the mic
I said the girls keep comin' back every night
'Cause I dress so fresh, my voice is clean
I can rock party people, yes, even the Queen
In England, Germany, France and Japan
The ladies know that I'm the man
Who keep 'em from the kitchen, just doin' their dishes
'Cause I have 'em in bed fulfillin' their wishes
I got a degree in makin' love
Yes, I got it from my father just up above
I could take a girl from any man
With a twitch of my lips or wave of a hand
So, to all you guys out there tonight
Grab your girl, hold her tight
Say treat her with respect and treat her right
'Cause I might be in town for just one night
Word
Do it
1, 2, 3, 4, 4
5, 6, do it, do it
We're, we're, we're here
We're back, back, back, back
Back
Back
Back
...
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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.
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I Can't Go To Sleep
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