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."
Now we can take a walk to my truck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
Bitches get a boot, I ain't trickin' all the loot
Sick of lyin' to them hoes, I'ma tell 'em all the truth
A brother doin' bad, buy your own fuckin' drank
Get yourself up in the club, stop reachin' for my bank
I'm a miser, that mean I'm tight as a Jew
So if you're, lookin' for love, bitch, you know what to do
Find a man, 'cause I ain't givin' nuttin' but dick
If you insulted? Grab your fuckin' pussy and split
Callin' my phone, tryin' to get in V.I.P.
I'll get you in but my niggaz want some head for free
If you're, wit' it I'm wit' it, if you're not get-the-fuck ho
Thinkin' a nigga get you treated like a buck ho
Now we can take a walk to my truck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
Let me hold somethin' Banner, look you can't hold shit
Nigga buy your own drink, stop beggin' like a bitch
Get some motherfuckin' nuts, be a motherfuckin' man
Y'all them same niggaz laughin' when I step off in that van
Bootlegger cocksuckers in my face, you a fan, ho
Get up off my nuts and start your own fuckin' band, ho
Grab some fuckin' chalm sticks, get off of a nigga dick
Even if you had a pussy, bitch, I wouldn't splurge trick
Man, I'm comin' down hard, pullin' pussy niggaz cards
If you don't like it knuckle up and take it to the yard
Dead but you won't get a cent from me
But you can get a good ass kickin' for free, punk bitch
Now we can take a walk to my truck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind, ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
Now when I step off in the club, all the bad girls scream
Holla "Boosie bad-ass, let me hit ya cup of lean"
Told her no way, look like you be-fo'play
I hit you with this dick and I'm gon' make you run like O.J.
Now they got redbones, blackbones, horses and stallions
But if you got that fire cat [Incomprehensible] Boosie he ain't gone
You want your bread fire really you can get it
But we linin' like we dope and all my niggaz wanna hit it
I'm a fool in Mississippi, I'm lovin' the hype
Everything I drop it they gon' cop it like I'm Tina and Ike
I got a clique of real niggaz and we ready to fight
And we fo' sho' to hit somethin' at the telly tonight
I'm at the suites with two freaks, I'm slappin' 'em on they cheeks
I'm hittin 'em from the back off a David Banner beat
Now I'm skeetin' on the sheets, headed to another city
Where we go and get some cat and we ain't gotta pay a penny nigga
Now we can take a walk to my truck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind, ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
Bitches get a boot, I ain't trickin' all the loot
Sick of lyin' to them hoes, I'ma tell 'em all the truth
A brother doin' bad, buy your own fuckin' drank
Get yourself up in the club, stop reachin' for my bank
I'm a miser, that mean I'm tight as a Jew
So if you're, lookin' for love, bitch, you know what to do
Find a man, 'cause I ain't givin' nuttin' but dick
If you insulted? Grab your fuckin' pussy and split
Callin' my phone, tryin' to get in V.I.P.
I'll get you in but my niggaz want some head for free
If you're, wit' it I'm wit' it, if you're not get-the-fuck ho
Thinkin' a nigga get you treated like a buck ho
Now we can take a walk to my truck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind ho
Let me hold somethin' Banner, look you can't hold shit
Nigga buy your own drink, stop beggin' like a bitch
Get some motherfuckin' nuts, be a motherfuckin' man
Y'all them same niggaz laughin' when I step off in that van
Bootlegger cocksuckers in my face, you a fan, ho
Get up off my nuts and start your own fuckin' band, ho
Grab some fuckin' chalm sticks, get off of a nigga dick
Even if you had a pussy, bitch, I wouldn't splurge trick
Man, I'm comin' down hard, pullin' pussy niggaz cards
If you don't like it knuckle up and take it to the yard
Dead but you won't get a cent from me
But you can get a good ass kickin' for free, punk bitch
Now we can take a walk to my truck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind, ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
Now when I step off in the club, all the bad girls scream
Holla "Boosie bad-ass, let me hit ya cup of lean"
Told her no way, look like you be-fo'play
I hit you with this dick and I'm gon' make you run like O.J.
Now they got redbones, blackbones, horses and stallions
But if you got that fire cat [Incomprehensible] Boosie he ain't gone
You want your bread fire really you can get it
But we linin' like we dope and all my niggaz wanna hit it
I'm a fool in Mississippi, I'm lovin' the hype
Everything I drop it they gon' cop it like I'm Tina and Ike
I got a clique of real niggaz and we ready to fight
And we fo' sho' to hit somethin' at the telly tonight
I'm at the suites with two freaks, I'm slappin' 'em on they cheeks
I'm hittin 'em from the back off a David Banner beat
Now I'm skeetin' on the sheets, headed to another city
Where we go and get some cat and we ain't gotta pay a penny nigga
Now we can take a walk to my truck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a duck
(But I ain't got nothing)
And I ain't tryin' to say you're a ho
(But I ain't got nothing)
But, bitch, I'm doin' bad and I'm broke
(Bitch, I ain't got nothing)
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-gr-uh-grind, ho
And I ain't payin' for shit, I'm on the grind, ho
I'm on the grind ho, I'm on the grind, ho
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Ain't Got Nothing Lyrics as written by Awood Magic Johnson Awood Johnson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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.
Great version of a great song,
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Page
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