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."
My conscience finally got to me,
Workin' sixty hours a week
Leavin' her alone, bored to death at home
So one day, I asked off early
I dropped that bottle of wine,
When I flipped on the light,
You can't imagine my
Surprise, they were havin' a real good time
Yeah, I nearly lost my mind,
When I saw the leather an' spikes around her neck,
An' he was handcuffed to my bed,
An' I thought he was my friend
Guess it was all lies: yeah, surprise!
The judge gave her all I had,
An' he did the same for my old friend
Yeah, his Lexus an' his house all went to his spouse,
So when I moved out, he just moved in
He went back to get his drawers at the place he lived before
Guess who answered the door?
Surprise, I hooked up with his ex-wife,
Who's prettier an' sweeter than mine.
Now we're livin' his XRI Jacuzzi bath
Yeah, we just sit back in them bubbles an' laugh,
While they're livin' in my run down shack
Yeah, serves 'em right: surprise
Surprise, surprise, yeah that trip to Mali sure was nice
Oh, in Vegas we rolled the dice
Now it's steak an' taters every night
Next weekend, yeah, we're headed off to Disneyland
Yeah, I knew he was rich but now,
Hell I can retire: surprise!
Workin' sixty hours a week
Leavin' her alone, bored to death at home
So one day, I asked off early
I dropped that bottle of wine,
When I flipped on the light,
You can't imagine my
Surprise, they were havin' a real good time
Yeah, I nearly lost my mind,
When I saw the leather an' spikes around her neck,
An' he was handcuffed to my bed,
An' I thought he was my friend
Guess it was all lies: yeah, surprise!
The judge gave her all I had,
An' he did the same for my old friend
Yeah, his Lexus an' his house all went to his spouse,
So when I moved out, he just moved in
He went back to get his drawers at the place he lived before
Guess who answered the door?
Surprise, I hooked up with his ex-wife,
Who's prettier an' sweeter than mine.
Now we're livin' his XRI Jacuzzi bath
Yeah, we just sit back in them bubbles an' laugh,
While they're livin' in my run down shack
Yeah, serves 'em right: surprise
Surprise, surprise, yeah that trip to Mali sure was nice
Oh, in Vegas we rolled the dice
Now it's steak an' taters every night
Next weekend, yeah, we're headed off to Disneyland
Yeah, I knew he was rich but now,
Hell I can retire: surprise!
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Surprise Lyrics as written by Trent Willmon Brandon Lynn Kinney
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Walt Disney Music Company
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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