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."
Thinking back to the times I had when I felt lonely
never felt complete and had the feeling of falling.
Always seemed to recognise other people who felt lonely
I knew them all but you know they didn't know me
Though they never spoke to me or gave me a sign
I could look in their eyes and see that they were the same.
As I walk the street sometimes the feeling returns to me
Oh No, I don't want to go there no more.
Cause I got you now and all my darkness has lifted
And when I think about it, it seems like a curse,
When I look at you I can't believe this gift
Now I keep on waiting for the bubble to burst!
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone.
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone new.
I feel you with me when I wake in the morning,
I feel you're nearer than the thoughts in my head.
I feel you closer than the body I live in.
When I can't feel anythin at all, It feels like I'm dead.
And that takes me back to the times when I felt lonely
Being incomplete and that feeling of falling,
Then all those people seem to know just how I'm feeling
Though I never look in their eyes or give them a sign.
So I sometimes find myself trying not to think about it,
These days are the best days though it feels like a curse.
When I look at you I can't believe this gift
And I keep on waiting for the bubble to burst!
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone.
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone new.
Tell me, what would would I do
What would I do
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone.
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone new.
never felt complete and had the feeling of falling.
Always seemed to recognise other people who felt lonely
I knew them all but you know they didn't know me
Though they never spoke to me or gave me a sign
I could look in their eyes and see that they were the same.
As I walk the street sometimes the feeling returns to me
Oh No, I don't want to go there no more.
Cause I got you now and all my darkness has lifted
And when I think about it, it seems like a curse,
When I look at you I can't believe this gift
Now I keep on waiting for the bubble to burst!
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone.
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone new.
I feel you with me when I wake in the morning,
I feel you're nearer than the thoughts in my head.
I feel you closer than the body I live in.
When I can't feel anythin at all, It feels like I'm dead.
And that takes me back to the times when I felt lonely
Being incomplete and that feeling of falling,
Then all those people seem to know just how I'm feeling
Though I never look in their eyes or give them a sign.
So I sometimes find myself trying not to think about it,
These days are the best days though it feels like a curse.
When I look at you I can't believe this gift
And I keep on waiting for the bubble to burst!
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone.
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone new.
Tell me, what would would I do
What would I do
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone.
What would I do, what would I do, what would I do.
If you ever gave this gift to someone new.
Lyrics submitted by revanchist
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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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