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."
Don't know why I'm still afraid
If you weren't real I would make you up
Now
I wish that I could follow through
I know that your love is true
And deep
As the sea
But right now
Everything you want is wrong,
And right now
All your dreams are waking up,
And right now
I wish I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom,
Where no one lives.
Remember when we first met
And everything was still a bet
In love's game
You would call; I'd call you back
And then I'd leave
A message
On your answering
Machine
But right now
Everything is turning blue,
And right now
The sun is trying to kill the moon,
And right now
I wish I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom,
Where no one lives
Freedom
Run away tonight
Freedom, freedom
Run away
Run away tonight
We're made out of blood and rust
Looking for someone to trust
Without
A fight
I think that you came too soon
You're the honey and the moon
That lights
Up my night
But right now
Everything you want is wrong,
And right now
All your dreams are waking up,
And right now
I wish that I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom
Where no one lives
Freedom
Run away tonight
Freedom freedom
Run away
Run away tonight
We got too much time to kill
Like pigeons on my windowsill
We hang around
Ever since I've been with you
You hold me up
All the time I'm falling down
But right now
Everything is turning blue,
And right now
The sun is trying to kill the moon,
And right now
I wish i could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom
Where no one lives
Freedom
Run away tonight
Freedom freedom
Run away
Run away tonight
If you weren't real I would make you up
Now
I wish that I could follow through
I know that your love is true
And deep
As the sea
But right now
Everything you want is wrong,
And right now
All your dreams are waking up,
And right now
I wish I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom,
Where no one lives.
Remember when we first met
And everything was still a bet
In love's game
You would call; I'd call you back
And then I'd leave
A message
On your answering
Machine
But right now
Everything is turning blue,
And right now
The sun is trying to kill the moon,
And right now
I wish I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom,
Where no one lives
Freedom
Run away tonight
Freedom, freedom
Run away
Run away tonight
We're made out of blood and rust
Looking for someone to trust
Without
A fight
I think that you came too soon
You're the honey and the moon
That lights
Up my night
But right now
Everything you want is wrong,
And right now
All your dreams are waking up,
And right now
I wish that I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom
Where no one lives
Freedom
Run away tonight
Freedom freedom
Run away
Run away tonight
We got too much time to kill
Like pigeons on my windowsill
We hang around
Ever since I've been with you
You hold me up
All the time I'm falling down
But right now
Everything is turning blue,
And right now
The sun is trying to kill the moon,
And right now
I wish i could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom
Where no one lives
Freedom
Run away tonight
Freedom freedom
Run away
Run away tonight
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
I think everyone's suggestions about the song's meanings are close. But...
I believe the song is from Joseph's POV. He met someone that he's fallen in love with, however, it's just not or hasn't been the right time to be together. Why? The song suggests that's he's afraid to fall in love. Maybe he hasn't had good experience with allowing himself to be free (without fear) with someone.
I think he's afraid to be with this person even though he knows he shouldn't be. Fear is irrational and can weight you down and hold you back from experiencing beautiful, awesome things. I think that's what he means about the "shores of freedom". A life without fear of love is freedom.
Also, on the "all you want is wrong" line: I think he means the other's persons wants are right BUT the timing is wrong.
Other songs on his album this song is featured on suggests that he eventually leaves this person (he gives up) because he's not ready to be in love or open himself up to love.
Two people in love. One loves the other deeply, and the other knows that ( I know that your love is true and deep as the sea). But she came to soon, at the wrong time, cause the other isn't ready yet. He can't follow her. (I think you came to soon + I wish I could follow you) She is the light in his life, she holds him up when he is down. But he can't give back anything, and she can't fix this. He has to work this out first (again, because she came to soon) I think he means that he is in a dark period and she makes it more bearable (you're the honey and the moon that lights up my night) but he can't follow her into the light, into a time that is less hard, that is free, free from the burden of his misery. (the shores of freedom) And I think he's telling her to go, to be happy, and he's telling her he loves her, and that he knows her love is real, but he has to let her go, and he can't follow just yet. Cause he wouldn't make her happy, and she had become te realise that (all your dreams are waking up). Maybe, i don't know... anyhow, I absolutely love this song! And all his other songs...
These people both love each other deeply, but the woman needs to go away to maybe find herself or to do something she has always needed to do. The singer believes she does not need to do this and she won't find what she is looking for. He knows he has to let her go and let her have her freedom to find out because he loves her. He would love to follow her but he can't because he knows she has to find out on her own and he does not agree with her. He thinks about the love they had when they first started out and how he thought it would last forever. Their love lit up his night just like the moon but now the sun is coming turning everything blue. He thinks if only she could have figured everything out before they met everything would have worked out. Until this woman does something they are just killing time, and he knows she needs to go away. Then he remembers how she has always helped him when he was feeling down, and really feels she is "running away to freedom, where no one lives"
I am sorry but to me this song is about same gay relationship. Its about a guy/girl who's afraid to face the fact that his/her love is in fact the same sex. The phrase "i think you came too soon" means that during that time/this time? gay relationship is still not accepted in some part of the world, but shores of freedom is probably a place such as montreal, stockholm or amsterdam. This is the most logical explanation there is
YES!! you know what i was just writing that, and I'm like ill just check to see if anyone else has, cause otherwise I'm going to be weird lol. But yer always thought that, like he or she isn't ready to accept themselves for who they are yet, and the other person already has. Quite sad really :(
Such a beautiful song. It's one of those songs that I love so much that it gives me butterflies in my tummy.
yessss i love this song too. .its amazing! and i can really relate to it because i feel it's about a person who pushes away love because they are afraid even though they do know that it really is good love and they shouldnt be afraid.
this is an incredible song.. woah.
If you weren't real I would make you up.... is that not the most beautiful thing you`ve ever heard? wow. <33333
This song is gorgeous. These lyrics are just AMAZING. They're so beautiful...I can't get over it! These are definitely some of the most poetic and breathtaking lyrics I've ever heard. If a guy wrote a song like this to me, I'd marry him on the spot. My only question is: What are the "shores of freedom"?
I really like this song. I've never heard anything else from him, but I should look into it. I think this song is about loving someone, but not being able to have that love (I WISH I could follow you....everything you want is wrong). I think the "shores of freedom" would be that relationship, the one that they can't get to.