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."
[Intro]
How y'all doin ladies and gentlemen?
My name is King Barry Gordy
And... I have a story for y'all
You know somebody that went through it
I don't care where you from...
East, West, midwest, South, please listen
[Chorus]
Momma why we ain't got no lights?
Why you and auntie fight over a pipe?
Why all these roaches at night?
Why my uncle always come and steal every thing in sight?
Why different guys pick up my sister every day of her life?
Why my brother in the streets always blazing that indo?
Why they sellin crack and blowin up your basement window?
Momma why you send me to school dirty and never clean?
I'm gettin teased cause my clothes smell like kerosene
[Verse 1]
I see my breath in my own house
I notice the eviction notice on the door so I guess we finna get thrown out
Momma please pay the rent when your next check come
She can barely spit out a word cause her mouth is so numb
And big brother I can't believe you
You ridin in cars with these two
and you know we need food
You sellin 'cane outta here
drunk felons hang out in here
You ain't hearing things loud and clear, is you?
You know momma can't take care of us
Face it nigga, you our parents, bro
Cause all our sister want to do is do her hair and fuck
She's the neighborhood rat, all the homies hit it
All the hood niggaz hit it, started yellin at the trick
Me and her don't even hit it
Her conversation strictly money and niggaz
So she just be senseless
Never though a nigga life would ever be this bold
I shouldn't even be seeing this shit, just ten years old
[Chorus]
Momma why we ain't got no lights?
Why you and auntie fight over a pipe?
Why all these roaches at night?
Why my uncle always come and steal every thing in sight?
Why different guys pick up my sister every day of her life?
Why my brother in the streets always blazing that indo?
Why they sellin crack and blowin up your basement window?
Momma why you send me to school dirty and never clean?
I'm gettin teased cause my clothes smell like kerosene
[Verse 2]
My brother's locked up now a nigga really out here
Going to school mad as hell cause I ain't got no gear
Man, I'm fired up
Don't even know the last time I had a haircut
G, is you feelin me? But I'm gettin suspended
Cause I'm always gettin defensive
Feelin offended, swinging on classmates in an instant
Often walking home crying cause my pride is dead
So much pain in society gone take time to heal it
On my way home from school prayin to lord almighty
that when I get to school no one's gon be fittin to be fightin
We'll just leave that shit alone and maybe we'll be alright
But I'll never be ok, there's to much drugs and violence
I see my auntie and here husband move they stuff in
My mommy, what happened to her friend's checks that she does her drugs wit
And when her credit is gone and all the money is out
my uncle leave and take all his stuff out the house
[Chorus]
Momma why we ain't got no lights?
Why you and auntie fight over a pipe?
Why all these roaches at night?
Why my uncle always come and steal every thing in sight?
Why different guys pick up my sister every day of her life?
Why my brother in the streets always blazing that indo?
Why they sellin crack and blowin up your basement window?
Momma why you send me to school dirty and never clean?
I'm gettin teased cause my clothes smell like kerosene
[Verse 3]
My sisters pregnant with her third baby in three years
I'm 13, my mom's still a dope fiend
My brother's outta the pen saying he'll stay clean
No weed or dope sellin, gettin a job wit no felon
Two days later when I see him this shit was so funny
Watch him half kill a friend cause the bitch owe him money
My momma and auntie takin blows in the kitchen
Beefin over a piece of a nickel that came up missin
My uncle all in my brother room, grabbin all his stuff
Uncle when you come home, you know he fuckin you up
But what really fucked up, my sister got me babysitting
I acting like I don't know the bitch like she's just some trick
My brother got caught in the crackhouse, they gave him five
Keep lockin him up lord, just don't take his life
In the end you thought I'd be some thing but I'm not
I'm 18 years old, sellin my momma rocks
How y'all doin ladies and gentlemen?
My name is King Barry Gordy
And... I have a story for y'all
You know somebody that went through it
I don't care where you from...
East, West, midwest, South, please listen
[Chorus]
Momma why we ain't got no lights?
Why you and auntie fight over a pipe?
Why all these roaches at night?
Why my uncle always come and steal every thing in sight?
Why different guys pick up my sister every day of her life?
Why my brother in the streets always blazing that indo?
Why they sellin crack and blowin up your basement window?
Momma why you send me to school dirty and never clean?
I'm gettin teased cause my clothes smell like kerosene
[Verse 1]
I see my breath in my own house
I notice the eviction notice on the door so I guess we finna get thrown out
Momma please pay the rent when your next check come
She can barely spit out a word cause her mouth is so numb
And big brother I can't believe you
You ridin in cars with these two
and you know we need food
You sellin 'cane outta here
drunk felons hang out in here
You ain't hearing things loud and clear, is you?
You know momma can't take care of us
Face it nigga, you our parents, bro
Cause all our sister want to do is do her hair and fuck
She's the neighborhood rat, all the homies hit it
All the hood niggaz hit it, started yellin at the trick
Me and her don't even hit it
Her conversation strictly money and niggaz
So she just be senseless
Never though a nigga life would ever be this bold
I shouldn't even be seeing this shit, just ten years old
[Chorus]
Momma why we ain't got no lights?
Why you and auntie fight over a pipe?
Why all these roaches at night?
Why my uncle always come and steal every thing in sight?
Why different guys pick up my sister every day of her life?
Why my brother in the streets always blazing that indo?
Why they sellin crack and blowin up your basement window?
Momma why you send me to school dirty and never clean?
I'm gettin teased cause my clothes smell like kerosene
[Verse 2]
My brother's locked up now a nigga really out here
Going to school mad as hell cause I ain't got no gear
Man, I'm fired up
Don't even know the last time I had a haircut
G, is you feelin me? But I'm gettin suspended
Cause I'm always gettin defensive
Feelin offended, swinging on classmates in an instant
Often walking home crying cause my pride is dead
So much pain in society gone take time to heal it
On my way home from school prayin to lord almighty
that when I get to school no one's gon be fittin to be fightin
We'll just leave that shit alone and maybe we'll be alright
But I'll never be ok, there's to much drugs and violence
I see my auntie and here husband move they stuff in
My mommy, what happened to her friend's checks that she does her drugs wit
And when her credit is gone and all the money is out
my uncle leave and take all his stuff out the house
[Chorus]
Momma why we ain't got no lights?
Why you and auntie fight over a pipe?
Why all these roaches at night?
Why my uncle always come and steal every thing in sight?
Why different guys pick up my sister every day of her life?
Why my brother in the streets always blazing that indo?
Why they sellin crack and blowin up your basement window?
Momma why you send me to school dirty and never clean?
I'm gettin teased cause my clothes smell like kerosene
[Verse 3]
My sisters pregnant with her third baby in three years
I'm 13, my mom's still a dope fiend
My brother's outta the pen saying he'll stay clean
No weed or dope sellin, gettin a job wit no felon
Two days later when I see him this shit was so funny
Watch him half kill a friend cause the bitch owe him money
My momma and auntie takin blows in the kitchen
Beefin over a piece of a nickel that came up missin
My uncle all in my brother room, grabbin all his stuff
Uncle when you come home, you know he fuckin you up
But what really fucked up, my sister got me babysitting
I acting like I don't know the bitch like she's just some trick
My brother got caught in the crackhouse, they gave him five
Keep lockin him up lord, just don't take his life
In the end you thought I'd be some thing but I'm not
I'm 18 years old, sellin my momma rocks
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
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