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 is a god of phoney creation,
Where am I going with no destination,
What if the fish came from the sea,
What if my lover made me feel free,
What if my intake caused revelation,
What if the point was reincarnation,
What if my shoes do'nt match my jacket,
If it's not working why don't you smack it,
What if your mamma said you were fat,
If you are lost find where your at,
What is a number without any time,
You can't get higher with nothing to climb,
Why have a body if you ain't got a mind,
What is a searcher with nothing to find,
Why is the traffic refusing to stop,
Why climb the ladder if you can't reach the top,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
Where is the what if the what is in why
Where is the what if the what is in why,
What do you dream of when you sleep at night,
Wee how the blind man fills up with light,
What is a bird with nowhere to fly,
How can you leave and not say goodbye,
What is a hunter with nothing to find,
What is the goodness without the unkind,
When did the outfit fall out of fashion,
When did the lover run out of passion,
My reincarnation time a phoney creation rhyme,
With no destination mine my information's fine,
Why did the voice say don't step on the floor,
Why did the sign say so float through the door,
What is a god of phoney creation,
Where am I going with no destination,
What if the fish came from the sea,
What if my lover made me feel free,
What if my intake caused revelation,
What if the point was reincarnation,
What if my shoes don't match my jacket,
If it's not working why don't you smack it,
What if your mamma said you were fat,
If you are lost find where you're at,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
How did the loser get to be rich,
What is a saleman with nothing to pitch,
When did the fool het to be king,
Why did you leave when they asked you to sing,
Why loose belief if you got a dream,
What is a train that ran out of steam,
What is a spy with no-one to spy,
On who do you sleep with nothing to lie on,
What if the fruit don't fall from the tree,
What if these questions just won't let you be,
Why waste your time looking for proof,
What if the answer is never the truth.
Where am I going with no destination,
What if the fish came from the sea,
What if my lover made me feel free,
What if my intake caused revelation,
What if the point was reincarnation,
What if my shoes do'nt match my jacket,
If it's not working why don't you smack it,
What if your mamma said you were fat,
If you are lost find where your at,
What is a number without any time,
You can't get higher with nothing to climb,
Why have a body if you ain't got a mind,
What is a searcher with nothing to find,
Why is the traffic refusing to stop,
Why climb the ladder if you can't reach the top,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
Where is the what if the what is in why
Where is the what if the what is in why,
What do you dream of when you sleep at night,
Wee how the blind man fills up with light,
What is a bird with nowhere to fly,
How can you leave and not say goodbye,
What is a hunter with nothing to find,
What is the goodness without the unkind,
When did the outfit fall out of fashion,
When did the lover run out of passion,
My reincarnation time a phoney creation rhyme,
With no destination mine my information's fine,
Why did the voice say don't step on the floor,
Why did the sign say so float through the door,
What is a god of phoney creation,
Where am I going with no destination,
What if the fish came from the sea,
What if my lover made me feel free,
What if my intake caused revelation,
What if the point was reincarnation,
What if my shoes don't match my jacket,
If it's not working why don't you smack it,
What if your mamma said you were fat,
If you are lost find where you're at,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
Where is the what if the what is in why,
How did the loser get to be rich,
What is a saleman with nothing to pitch,
When did the fool het to be king,
Why did you leave when they asked you to sing,
Why loose belief if you got a dream,
What is a train that ran out of steam,
What is a spy with no-one to spy,
On who do you sleep with nothing to lie on,
What if the fruit don't fall from the tree,
What if these questions just won't let you be,
Why waste your time looking for proof,
What if the answer is never the truth.
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Where Is the What If the What Is in Why? Lyrics as written by Roisin Murphy Mark Errington Brydon
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Where Is the What If the What Is in Why? [DVD] song meanings
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