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."
What up y'all?
This Jed Thumpman
Let me tell y'all a little story
About a muthafucka that I know named Blaze
Now everytime we roll up a joint
Muthafuckas always be talkin' about Blaze Blaze Blaze
Man fuck Blaze
This muthafucka act like he puttin' it down for the hood
Talkin' bout everybody know Blaze, big baller
I don't give a fuck
Dead muthafucka don't get no special treatment from me
Look at Sarie's son little Eric
You know that muthafucka down to wear a wheelchair
I hate that muthafucka
And I don't show him no special treatment
So Blaze can kiss my ass
I put in work for my hood
So fuck a 9 to 5
You can find me on the corner
Hustlin' on the grind
They call me Mr. Lump Lump
So when their heads hear the thunder and the bump bump
They come out runnin' like the kids to the ice cream man
Children I'm sorry it's Blaze in the loony van
Playin' Atari, and I gotta do a crime to loot and 8 ball
Semi automatic with a clip for the law
All I want to do is make money and smoke
Fuck hella bitches, and slang my dope
The law ain't good for a muthafuckin thang
But eatin' mad donuts, and gettin' all in the way
I been gone for more than a day, and some things changed
Some many died and some faded away
I represent the ghetto from Harlem to Pinewood
I ride for the hood, I put it down for the hood
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I've been dead to the world for the last 11 years
My body's decomposing, I'm missin' part of my ear
Still gonna rock till the day I die again
Get up back from the dead, and ryde again
Walk again, talk thug shit, right
Empty mack clips, right
Keep it old school, want to see that bitch? Uh huh
When it's thugs in King's coats and Raider's caps
Killers, jerry curls, and baseball bats
Ready to die like everyday
I put it down like a muthafucka, everyday
I drink brew and smoke weed like, everyday
And we all trying to get paid but anyway
Killas don't talk, but this one do
Talk you out your wallet let the 45 blast you
Twice in the chest, once in the face
Plus the extra heater on the safe side in case
Your bitch is wack well she can catch one too
Cause if you're down with your hood
Then your hood down with you
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
Psychopathic just like thugs
We ball, and we fight
And just like the freaks I come out every night
Holdin' down the sidewalk
Standin' amongst muthafuckas that's soon to be outlined in chalk
Sippin' on a cold ass 40 of OE
Live from the DET we OG
Pissy drunk always, we dead bumpin'
Stay thug with the throw away in the trunk
Bitch slapper, fuck a bitch rapper
Bitches were made for fuckin' but that's another chapter
Bitch you don't know me, don't approach me
Thinkin' that you're down with Blaze ya dead homie
G Blood imbedded in street blocks
That's why I put it down, and blast with many shots
Bullet holes in my chest, it's all good
Man I even died for my hood, muthafucka
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
This Jed Thumpman
Let me tell y'all a little story
About a muthafucka that I know named Blaze
Now everytime we roll up a joint
Muthafuckas always be talkin' about Blaze Blaze Blaze
Man fuck Blaze
This muthafucka act like he puttin' it down for the hood
Talkin' bout everybody know Blaze, big baller
I don't give a fuck
Dead muthafucka don't get no special treatment from me
Look at Sarie's son little Eric
You know that muthafucka down to wear a wheelchair
I hate that muthafucka
And I don't show him no special treatment
So Blaze can kiss my ass
I put in work for my hood
So fuck a 9 to 5
You can find me on the corner
Hustlin' on the grind
They call me Mr. Lump Lump
So when their heads hear the thunder and the bump bump
They come out runnin' like the kids to the ice cream man
Children I'm sorry it's Blaze in the loony van
Playin' Atari, and I gotta do a crime to loot and 8 ball
Semi automatic with a clip for the law
All I want to do is make money and smoke
Fuck hella bitches, and slang my dope
The law ain't good for a muthafuckin thang
But eatin' mad donuts, and gettin' all in the way
I been gone for more than a day, and some things changed
Some many died and some faded away
I represent the ghetto from Harlem to Pinewood
I ride for the hood, I put it down for the hood
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I've been dead to the world for the last 11 years
My body's decomposing, I'm missin' part of my ear
Still gonna rock till the day I die again
Get up back from the dead, and ryde again
Walk again, talk thug shit, right
Empty mack clips, right
Keep it old school, want to see that bitch? Uh huh
When it's thugs in King's coats and Raider's caps
Killers, jerry curls, and baseball bats
Ready to die like everyday
I put it down like a muthafucka, everyday
I drink brew and smoke weed like, everyday
And we all trying to get paid but anyway
Killas don't talk, but this one do
Talk you out your wallet let the 45 blast you
Twice in the chest, once in the face
Plus the extra heater on the safe side in case
Your bitch is wack well she can catch one too
Cause if you're down with your hood
Then your hood down with you
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
Psychopathic just like thugs
We ball, and we fight
And just like the freaks I come out every night
Holdin' down the sidewalk
Standin' amongst muthafuckas that's soon to be outlined in chalk
Sippin' on a cold ass 40 of OE
Live from the DET we OG
Pissy drunk always, we dead bumpin'
Stay thug with the throw away in the trunk
Bitch slapper, fuck a bitch rapper
Bitches were made for fuckin' but that's another chapter
Bitch you don't know me, don't approach me
Thinkin' that you're down with Blaze ya dead homie
G Blood imbedded in street blocks
That's why I put it down, and blast with many shots
Bullet holes in my chest, it's all good
Man I even died for my hood, muthafucka
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
I put it down for the hood
I ride for the hood
And all my muthafuckas is up to no good
Cause everybody in the hood is trying to come up
So gimme all of your money before you get your ass stuck
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Put It Down Lyrics as written by Sean Garrett Shondrae Crawford
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Wu-Tang Clan
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“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.