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."
Yah, you never said a word
You didn't send me no letter
Don't think I could forgive you
See our world is slowly dying
I'm not wasting no more time
Don't think I could believe you
Yah, our hands will get more wrinkled
And our hair will be grey
Don't think I could forgive you
And see the children are starving
And their houses were destroyed
Don't think they could forgive you
Hey, when seas will cover lands
And when men will be no more
Don't think you can forgive you
Yah when there'll just be silence
And when life will be over
Don't think you will forgive you
You didn't send me no letter
Don't think I could forgive you
See our world is slowly dying
I'm not wasting no more time
Don't think I could believe you
Yah, our hands will get more wrinkled
And our hair will be grey
Don't think I could forgive you
And see the children are starving
And their houses were destroyed
Don't think they could forgive you
Hey, when seas will cover lands
And when men will be no more
Don't think you can forgive you
Yah when there'll just be silence
And when life will be over
Don't think you will forgive you
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by Mellow_Harsher, Nic111, Ewout, jnaomilucy111, lironschur, RajRegan696969, malachee34, MosinBros
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“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
It honestly sounds a lot like someone's dislike with God's absence in their life. They see the hurt and abandonment in the world and want God to know that He's not forgiven for it. When the world ends, He wont forgive Himself. This could also be said about humanity towards itself.
I suppose it could also easily translate to a relationship but that would be stretching it. The lyrics seem to encompass humanity as a whole and speaks with an eternal tone that says the audience is more omniscient than on person.
I agree entirely. It's all about someone losing their faith, and poking at the core of christianity in that "god will always forgive you". In this case, the singer is saying that nobody will forgive god, and god won't likely even forgive himself for the mess...
I also think its about god and how this worlds messed up and they are losing their faith. It is called prayer in c after all xxx
Why do you just assume the song's about God? God is not mentioned a single time in this song. I am an atheist and I can totally relate to evey phrase of the lyrics without bringing in God in any way.<br /> <br /> In my opinion, this song is all about how the world is divided in to two classes. Where the poor stays poor while the rich gets even richer. Take a look at the world we live in, there is a huge amount of evil people, you have no idea. I live in Norway, I can see the greed everywhere. This is a song aiming at the rich and greedy.. I mean, look at the lyrics, it's so obvious. Stop looking for meanings that is not there.<br /> <br /> You does not mean one person in this context.
And maybe you have not noticed what is really going on around the world. But the rich is eliminating the poor. This is not a secret i Norway. And the seas will cover lands like: Japan, Thailand etc.. and we will not help them. The song is saying that when those people are gone, we will be left on earth feeling unforgiven.
Sorry, Vegard8197 but I think ladypetrichor is right on this one. To me, it makes much more sense for someone to blame God for the mess occurring and for not helping humanity than to aim their words toward the rich, whom nobody expects help from. People are always asking God for help (in the form of prayer) and blame God when things go wrong. This song is a reflection of that.
Or it could be the other way around. God telling us: <br /> You never said a word (didn't encourage or lift anyone up)<br /> Didn't send a letter (didn't pray...wasn't proactive)<br /> You see the world dying and do nothing.<br /> How could I believe your sincerity.<br /> I see my children starving.<br /> Homes being destroyed.<br /> What are you doing about it? Isn't that what I have you for???<br /> <br /> Could go both ways. :)
@ladypetrichor I think ladypetrichor is most likely right, as the song is titled Prayer in C. On the other hand I can also relate to what vegard8197 is saying and think that what you are saying is true.<br /> <br /> But it is a song, and you can take it and feel whatever you want about it and let it mean whatever you want it to mean to you. That's the good thing about music.
@justranting Yeah that could fit well, but the line which talks about the wrinkles of our hands and our hair growing grey, is quite nonsense about God... Anyway I agree, it's properly right on God's point of view!
@ladypetrichor well even if she is mad at him for not doing anything these guys have a lot of money and could help the world themselves, instead they spend it on themselves
@ladypetrichor exactly! I agree with you all.
I think "Yeah" is wrong in these lyrics. It must be "Yah" which is an Hebrew name for God. Then every line makes perfectly sense.
I agree, now that you mention it! :)
Wow, didn't notice that until now. :D
Brilliant
I created an account here for the sole purpose of upvoting this. Good observation!
Plus, "Hey" in the 5th verse could stand for the Hebrew letter 'Hey', which is another abbreviation for God (both 'Yah' and the letter 'Hey' are short for 'Yehovah', or Jehovah). Now the song does make a lot of sense doesn't it!
@hades01 i think its YA*
@hades01 I speak hebrew and that's not true
@yuval11006<br /> well, Wikipedia says so en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh
@hades01 that is a great point! I can totally see that making sense in the context of this song.
@hades01 <br /> i just wanna say that yahva in hebrew means God <br /> but anyway i think that this song was ment for God
@hades01 u did spot something, & i guess u are right. I"m disliking the song,
@hades01 LOL I LISTEN TO THIS SONG ALL THE TIME
@hades01 I think you mean Yahweh, so I don't think that theory works for this.
I don't think it's coincidence that the lines start with "Yah", "See" (or 'C') and "Hey" (or 'A') as potentially shortened versions of Yahweh, Christ and... well, we'll get to that last one.<br /> <br /> Note that the two "See" stanzas regard things that involve more direct interaction with humanity: "I'm not wasting no more time" - potentially regarding the eventual return of the Son, and "the children are starving and their houses were destroyed." <br /> <br /> Consider this in contrast to the "Yah" stanzas regarding the absence of God's direct presence and the processes of aging and ending life. These speak more to grand design than direct intervention.<br /> <br /> So then it would follow logically that "Hey", or "A" is a reference to Allah, but I'm not so sure. The "Hey" lines are "When seas will cover lands and when men will be no more" speak to the belief of some that the God of the Old Testament was vengeful, bringing floods and and fire and brimstone. Regardless of Jewish-Muslim relations, this song is way too smart to pin that on one denomination or faith.<br /> <br /> Instead, I think the "Hey" or 'A' stands for Abba, the Aramaic word for Father-God and used in Jewish prayers. The more archaic usage and reference to God as a father, capable of both mercy and punishment, is much more consistent with the line in the song.
Prayer in C... If you're a composer/musician you would realize that it's "Prayer in Consciousness." Surprised no one figured that out yet... ^.^ Look up "in C"
@CommonS no one has figured it out because that's not what it means. "In C" has nothing to do with this. <br /> <br /> -Joseph
@CommonS It's called "Prayer in C" because it's in the key of C (well, more like A minor). It YOU'RE a composer/musician you would have realized that. [insert sarcastic emoticon here]. I looked up "in C" like you suggested, hoping it wasn't about Terry Riley's "in C", but it was the only thing related to music that popped up. The only connection these two pieces have is that they are both in the key of C. Nothing about "Consciousness".
An Israeli duo. The lyrics become extremely overt and any ambiguity is clarified.
It's funny how everybody finds sonething in thin song that is close to his own feelings. I think the goal of the song is to ask ourselves who we haven't forgiven yet. I was actually feeling this song was about a war, as 2014 was a year of wars and hearing about a burnt house and starving children i was thinking about the war that changed my life this year, my family escaping from the city where they've lived in generations, the houses burning, not enough food in occupied cities. Occupied by somebody we actually thought were our friends, our neighbours, some of them even our relatives, but they came and without saying a word or explaying anything took our houses and our lives away. We would never believe them nor forgive them again, i guess it will last in generaions.
The song speaks volumes to me with addiction and making amends.
I agree with anyone who feels that this song is speaking to God. It sounds as though the person isbecoming a non believer or is just basically saying they're done following the rules but still is acknowledging that there is a god. The video is very clear. The female in the beginning has a clean face and by the end she has a full Dia de Los meurtos face. she seems happy to join the non-believers and Luke warm christians. They all appear to embrace their free spirits and live life without rules. Exactly how a believer would discribe a non believer. I love this song but as a young luke warm Christian I can totally relate to the feeling of wanting to break free and being angry with our cruel and just god lol
Anyone who disagrees that this song is directed at god, and is instead about the quarrels between two lovers...please take a look at the very name of the song itself to clear up any confusion you might have.
I agree with ladypetrichor and rod that it is fundamentally addressed to God.
It could also be interpreted as being addressed to everyone individually who did nothing to stop climate change.
you never said a word never sent a letter (activism or change in behaviour) Don't think I could forgive you
The second verse could be heard as "our word is slowly dying" referring to humanity or governments climate change commitments. Don't think I could believe you
The third verse moves forward in time to when we're older.
And see the children are starving And their houses were destroyed Don't think they could forgive you
Ultimately you won't forgive yourself for doing nothing.
ladypetrichoron Is right, the song is adressed to God. The title says it ... Prayer in C. A prayer is usually adressed to God.
Hades is also right. The lyrics should be Yah and not Yeah.