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."
I'm on watch here
So close your eyes and get some rest
I'm here to watch your heart
It's been faulty from the start
I'm the ribs in your chest
I'm not an angel
I never mean to make you cry
Jumping through my hoops
With dissention in the troops
And a smile and a sigh
What's that over your shoulder?
Fear of getting older?
Stay with me.
Sing me a love song
From your heart or from the phone book
It don't matter to me
I'm an apple, you're the tree
I won't fall when you're shook
What's that over your shoulder?
Fear of getting older?
Stay with me
It ends with a kiss
It ends with a tear
It ends with the lights out
Bathed in our fears
Tell me nonsense
I don't want sincere
I saw the lightning
Cut through the last winter sky of the year
Stay with me
Keep with me
So close your eyes and get some rest
I'm here to watch your heart
It's been faulty from the start
I'm the ribs in your chest
I'm not an angel
I never mean to make you cry
Jumping through my hoops
With dissention in the troops
And a smile and a sigh
What's that over your shoulder?
Fear of getting older?
Stay with me.
Sing me a love song
From your heart or from the phone book
It don't matter to me
I'm an apple, you're the tree
I won't fall when you're shook
What's that over your shoulder?
Fear of getting older?
Stay with me
It ends with a kiss
It ends with a tear
It ends with the lights out
Bathed in our fears
Tell me nonsense
I don't want sincere
I saw the lightning
Cut through the last winter sky of the year
Stay with me
Keep with me
Lyrics submitted by nutshell7, edited by niteflite01
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Mountain Song
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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Page
Ed Sheeran
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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.
Tom said that this song was very personal to him..and to me it sounds a bit as if he'd written it for Edith. She was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and the lyrics "I'm on watch here, so close your eyes and get some rest, I'm here to watch your heart, it's been faulty from the start, I'm the ribs in your chest" is a beautiful way for him to tell her how she shouldn't worry, and that he will be there for her through this. He will be strong "I'm an apple, your the tree and I won't fall when your shook." Another way of saying he will be strong for them in this time of worry.
The rest of the song also states how he doesn't care about all the pretentious things others care about in a relationship, all he wants is her to be safe and to stay with him (maybe he's praying that she mustn't die).
Also this shock of finding out about her illness has made him reflect on how he's been. And he apologizes for his conflicting opinions.
"It ends with a kiss, it ends with a tear, it ends with the lights out bathed in our fears, tell me nonsense, I don't want sincere, I saw the lightning cut through the last winter sky of the year" Their conversations ends with her crying and them both fearful of what's going to happen. He's trying to stay positive and cheerful for her, as this news to him was like 'lighting cut through the last winter sky of the year' which I guess would be very dark and disturbing.
Simply beautiful.