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."
Yo! Hey, what's happening, dude?
I'm the guy with the rep for being rude.
Terrorizing people wherever I go,
It's not intentional, just keepin' the flow.
Fixin' test scores to get the best scores.
Droppin' banana peels all over the floor.
I'm the kid that made delinquency an art,
Last name Simpson, first name Bart.
I'm here today to introduce the next phase,
The next step in the big Bart craze.
I've got a dance real easy to do;
I learned it with no rhythm, and so can you.
So move your body if you've got the notion,
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
Now that you've got it, if you think you can,
Do it to the music--that's the Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Whoa!
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Shake it out, man!
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Bartman!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Uh-huh.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Whoa, mama!
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Whoa.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
It wasn't long ago, just a couple of weeks,
I got in trouble, yeah, pretty deep.
Homer was yellin',
Bart!
Mom was too,
Because I put mothballs in the beef stew.
Punishment time, in the air lurks gloom,
Sitting by myself, confined to my room.
When all else fails, nothin' else left to do,
I turn on the music, so I can feel the groove.
Move your body, if you've got the notion.
Whoa, I'm feelin' the groove now, baby!
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
Bring it back, whoa!
Move you hips from side to side now.
Do the Bartman!
Don't ya slip, let your feet glide now.
Whoa, Lisa. Ha!
If ya got the groove, ya gotta use it.
Ha, ha, ha!
Light rhythm in time with the music.
Ha, ha, ha. Check it out, man.
You just might start a chain reaction.
If you can do the Bart, you're bad like Michael Jackson.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Oh, yeah!
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Shake yo' body!
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Huh!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Yeah, do the Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Everybody, yeah, do the Bartman.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Shake it out.
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Whoa, mama.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
I'm bad, I'm bad!
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Everybody back and forth, from side to side.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Pick your feet up off the floor, let 'em glide!
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
She can do it, he can do it, so can I.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Now here's a dance beat that you can't deny.
Turn it down! Will you stop that infernal racket?!
Do the Bartman!
Oh, my ears! Lisa! Put that saxophone away!
You can't touch this.
I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything.
Oops!
Now I'm in the house, feeling good to be home,
Till Lisa starts blowing that damn saxophone.
And if it was mine, you know they'd take it away,
But still I'm feeling good, so that's okay.
I'm up in my room, just a singin' a song,
Listen to the kick drum, kickin' along.
Yeah, Lisa likes jazz; she's their number one fan,
But I know I'm bad, 'cause I do the Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Hey, everybody!
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Need I remind you?
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
I am Bart, Bart-man.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Shake it out.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Everybody back and forth, from side to side.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
She can do it, he can do it, so can I.
Move your body, if you've got the notion.
Move it.
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
Swing it!
Move you hips from side to side now.
Don't ya slip, let your feet glide now.
If ya got the groove, ya gotta use it.
Dooby, dooby, dooby, dooby, doo, wop, bop, bop!
Light rhythm in time with the music.
Dabba doo, dabba doo, dab it!
You just might start a chain reaction.
Dabba dab, doo dab
Hee, hee, hee. I'm a Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Swing it, baby.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Hoo-uh.
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Oh yeah. I'm bad. Real bad.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Whoa, mama.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Ha, ha!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Oh yeah!
Do the Bartman.
Move your body, if you've got the notion.
You call that dancing? Ha!
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
(Do the Bartman)
Watch this move.
Move you hips from side to side now.
(Everybody in the house do the Bartman)
Ooh, uh uh, uh, ai, ai. Yeah!
Don't ya slip, let your feet glide now.
(Do the Bartman)
If ya got the groove, ya gotta use it.
Ha, ha, ha! Swing it!
Jack your body in time with the music.
You just might start a chain reaction.
Eat your heart out, Michael! Woop!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman.
I'm the guy with the rep for being rude.
Terrorizing people wherever I go,
It's not intentional, just keepin' the flow.
Fixin' test scores to get the best scores.
Droppin' banana peels all over the floor.
I'm the kid that made delinquency an art,
Last name Simpson, first name Bart.
I'm here today to introduce the next phase,
The next step in the big Bart craze.
I've got a dance real easy to do;
I learned it with no rhythm, and so can you.
So move your body if you've got the notion,
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
Now that you've got it, if you think you can,
Do it to the music--that's the Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Whoa!
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Shake it out, man!
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Bartman!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Uh-huh.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Whoa, mama!
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Whoa.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
It wasn't long ago, just a couple of weeks,
I got in trouble, yeah, pretty deep.
Homer was yellin',
Bart!
Mom was too,
Because I put mothballs in the beef stew.
Punishment time, in the air lurks gloom,
Sitting by myself, confined to my room.
When all else fails, nothin' else left to do,
I turn on the music, so I can feel the groove.
Move your body, if you've got the notion.
Whoa, I'm feelin' the groove now, baby!
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
Bring it back, whoa!
Move you hips from side to side now.
Do the Bartman!
Don't ya slip, let your feet glide now.
Whoa, Lisa. Ha!
If ya got the groove, ya gotta use it.
Ha, ha, ha!
Light rhythm in time with the music.
Ha, ha, ha. Check it out, man.
You just might start a chain reaction.
If you can do the Bart, you're bad like Michael Jackson.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Oh, yeah!
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Shake yo' body!
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Huh!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Yeah, do the Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Everybody, yeah, do the Bartman.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Shake it out.
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Whoa, mama.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
I'm bad, I'm bad!
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Everybody back and forth, from side to side.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Pick your feet up off the floor, let 'em glide!
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
She can do it, he can do it, so can I.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Now here's a dance beat that you can't deny.
Turn it down! Will you stop that infernal racket?!
Do the Bartman!
Oh, my ears! Lisa! Put that saxophone away!
You can't touch this.
I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything.
Oops!
Now I'm in the house, feeling good to be home,
Till Lisa starts blowing that damn saxophone.
And if it was mine, you know they'd take it away,
But still I'm feeling good, so that's okay.
I'm up in my room, just a singin' a song,
Listen to the kick drum, kickin' along.
Yeah, Lisa likes jazz; she's their number one fan,
But I know I'm bad, 'cause I do the Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Hey, everybody!
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Need I remind you?
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
I am Bart, Bart-man.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Shake it out.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
Everybody back and forth, from side to side.
Do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman!
She can do it, he can do it, so can I.
Move your body, if you've got the notion.
Move it.
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
Swing it!
Move you hips from side to side now.
Don't ya slip, let your feet glide now.
If ya got the groove, ya gotta use it.
Dooby, dooby, dooby, dooby, doo, wop, bop, bop!
Light rhythm in time with the music.
Dabba doo, dabba doo, dab it!
You just might start a chain reaction.
Dabba dab, doo dab
Hee, hee, hee. I'm a Bartman.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Swing it, baby.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Hoo-uh.
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Oh yeah. I'm bad. Real bad.
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Whoa, mama.
Everybody, if you can, do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman.
Shake your body, turn it out if you can, man.
Front to the back, to the side if you can, can.
Ha, ha!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Oh yeah!
Do the Bartman.
Move your body, if you've got the notion.
You call that dancing? Ha!
Front to back in a rock-like motion.
(Do the Bartman)
Watch this move.
Move you hips from side to side now.
(Everybody in the house do the Bartman)
Ooh, uh uh, uh, ai, ai. Yeah!
Don't ya slip, let your feet glide now.
(Do the Bartman)
If ya got the groove, ya gotta use it.
Ha, ha, ha! Swing it!
Jack your body in time with the music.
You just might start a chain reaction.
Eat your heart out, Michael! Woop!
Everybody in the house do the Bartman.
Do the Bartman.
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Do the Bartman Lyrics as written by Bryan Loren Michael Joe Jackson
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced 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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.