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."
[Repeat: x8]
Reppin' in the kingdom,
I'm reppin' reppin' the kingdom
I go first, gimme that mike
Gotta get this party started right
Everybody scream to the top of your lungs
Holy Ghost gonna have you speaking in tongues
I'm a part of a dynasty
A family that's been set free like me
They call me D Haddy
Everywhere I go all eyes on me
Cuz when I lead 'em to the cross
God the Father is the boss
My job is to win the lost
Save a soul at any cost
We gonna go from the east coast to the west coast
Find out who's reppin' the most
New generation, taking our freedom
Reppin' the kingdom
[Chorus]
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
(Detroit City) I'm in
(Indiana, LA) I'm in
(New York City) you can count me in
I'm reppin' the kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
(All right) I'm in
(Okay) I'm in
(I wanna hear it) you can count me in
(J. Moss way) I'm reppin' the kingdom
(J. Moss)
(Just jam) I'm droppin number two
The second don't mean that I couldn't run the point
I rep from the Midwest
A south mile hood rep good on the joint
Get your hands up, rep your city
If you love him go and tell everybody you know
(Now jam) It's me from the D you gonna see with D Haddy
But enough about me
Rep that, for the lost
Rep that, for the broken
Rep that, you feel defeated
Rep that, you haven't lost
Rep that, you haven't lost
Rep that, stay in His face
Rep that, blessed in this freedom
Rep the Kingdom
[Chorus]
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
(Put your hands up) I'm in
(CA-A-A) I'm in
(Let's Go see) you can count me in
(Canton in the A-A-A) I'm reppin' the kingdom
The kingdom is my business
So you can call me a business man
I follow the scriptures
So you can call that my business plan
Do what He tell me to do
That is how my business is ran
Can't ya'll beat my business brand
See me in my business stance
There's still fish in the air for the kingdom
It don't matter where they come from bring 'em
International or bilingual
We gonna let the Holy Ghost power sting 'em
Drug deals, pimps, thugs, kids, teens, or older
Bow your head to Jehovah
Okay, now you're a soldier
[Chorus]
(DC, Philly)
[Repeat: x4]
Reppin' the Kingdom
I'm in
(I think I wanna bring new blood up in this beat) I'm in
(We got a rookie) You can count me in
(How about I introduce my family) I'm reppin' the kingdom
T-T-T Haddy on the track
Born in the A
Raised in the D
Haddy is my cousin
We rep the family tree (yep)
Covenant to the father so we rep for sure (yep)
And we gotta rep the kingdom everywhere we go (sang cuz)
True swagger is in our my blood
Believing in Him because
All this loving's from above (sang cuz)
Water ain't thicker than blood
Yeah Jesus spilled it in love
Tell me you reppin' with us
[Chorus]
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
I'm in, I'm in
(Wait a minute)
You can count me in
(Tye Tribbet's in the building)
I'm reppin' the kingdom
Greetings earthlings
I know I sound kinda weird
Might as well get used to it
Accept it cuz I'm not from here
We represent the kingdom of God
With all my flaws, my mistakes and all
When you talking Kingdom, man
You're saying God is Lord
And whatever else you're saying
Man, I get kinda bored
Cause all that really matter
Is who you're living for
And if you're reppin' Christ
Let me see you hit the floor
We represent the kingdom of God, man
We represent the kingdom of God, man
Reppin' in the kingdom,
I'm reppin' reppin' the kingdom
I go first, gimme that mike
Gotta get this party started right
Everybody scream to the top of your lungs
Holy Ghost gonna have you speaking in tongues
I'm a part of a dynasty
A family that's been set free like me
They call me D Haddy
Everywhere I go all eyes on me
Cuz when I lead 'em to the cross
God the Father is the boss
My job is to win the lost
Save a soul at any cost
We gonna go from the east coast to the west coast
Find out who's reppin' the most
New generation, taking our freedom
Reppin' the kingdom
[Chorus]
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
(Detroit City) I'm in
(Indiana, LA) I'm in
(New York City) you can count me in
I'm reppin' the kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
(All right) I'm in
(Okay) I'm in
(I wanna hear it) you can count me in
(J. Moss way) I'm reppin' the kingdom
(J. Moss)
(Just jam) I'm droppin number two
The second don't mean that I couldn't run the point
I rep from the Midwest
A south mile hood rep good on the joint
Get your hands up, rep your city
If you love him go and tell everybody you know
(Now jam) It's me from the D you gonna see with D Haddy
But enough about me
Rep that, for the lost
Rep that, for the broken
Rep that, you feel defeated
Rep that, you haven't lost
Rep that, you haven't lost
Rep that, stay in His face
Rep that, blessed in this freedom
Rep the Kingdom
[Chorus]
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
(Put your hands up) I'm in
(CA-A-A) I'm in
(Let's Go see) you can count me in
(Canton in the A-A-A) I'm reppin' the kingdom
The kingdom is my business
So you can call me a business man
I follow the scriptures
So you can call that my business plan
Do what He tell me to do
That is how my business is ran
Can't ya'll beat my business brand
See me in my business stance
There's still fish in the air for the kingdom
It don't matter where they come from bring 'em
International or bilingual
We gonna let the Holy Ghost power sting 'em
Drug deals, pimps, thugs, kids, teens, or older
Bow your head to Jehovah
Okay, now you're a soldier
[Chorus]
(DC, Philly)
[Repeat: x4]
Reppin' the Kingdom
I'm in
(I think I wanna bring new blood up in this beat) I'm in
(We got a rookie) You can count me in
(How about I introduce my family) I'm reppin' the kingdom
T-T-T Haddy on the track
Born in the A
Raised in the D
Haddy is my cousin
We rep the family tree (yep)
Covenant to the father so we rep for sure (yep)
And we gotta rep the kingdom everywhere we go (sang cuz)
True swagger is in our my blood
Believing in Him because
All this loving's from above (sang cuz)
Water ain't thicker than blood
Yeah Jesus spilled it in love
Tell me you reppin' with us
[Chorus]
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
Reppin' the Kingdom
I'm in, I'm in
(Wait a minute)
You can count me in
(Tye Tribbet's in the building)
I'm reppin' the kingdom
Greetings earthlings
I know I sound kinda weird
Might as well get used to it
Accept it cuz I'm not from here
We represent the kingdom of God
With all my flaws, my mistakes and all
When you talking Kingdom, man
You're saying God is Lord
And whatever else you're saying
Man, I get kinda bored
Cause all that really matter
Is who you're living for
And if you're reppin' Christ
Let me see you hit the floor
We represent the kingdom of God, man
We represent the kingdom of God, man
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Reppin' the Kingdom Lyrics as written by Fredrick Crawford Deitrick Vaughn Haddon
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.