The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
(When your best friends are strung out)
You'll do everything you can
'Cause you're never gonna let it get em down
(When you find it all around)
Yeah, it comes in waves, but it's hardest from the start
Feeling, sleeping, in the field again,
Oh, I can feel, I can feel
I can feel, it's beginning to end
Yeah, premonition smiling in the dark
Oh, I can see, I can see
I can see the story starting to arc
Oh, oh, oh, oh
It's comes up
I've been a spoken word
I've been a river bed
I've been a rabid voice
And let it flow up from within
Sometimes it feels like I only dream in black and white
Ah, ah, ah, ah
And colors so
(When your best friends are strung out)
You'll do everything you can
'Cause you're never gonna let it get em down
(When you find it all around)
Yeah, you say it's what you need
And hide your eyes when you're close to me
(When you feel up in the clouds)
Well, it comes in waves, but it's hardest from the start
Waits, and fed us, slipping into dreams
Oh, I can feel, I can feel
I can feel the celestial beings
Oh welted pleasures leaving with the breath
I can see, I can see
I can see the beauty in the mask
Oh, oh, oh, oh
It draws up
I've been a river bed
I tried to salt the wound
I've carried more than I can
I feel I've got a lot to prove
Sometimes I feel like I only dream in black and white
Oh, oh, oh, oh
But colors so
(When your best friends are strung out)
You'll do everything you can
'Cause you're never gonna let it get em down
(When you find it all around)
Yeah, you say it's what you need
You hide your eyes when you're close to me
(When you feel up in the clouds)
You ought to know
That I'm here no matter where you want to go
(In your head hanging upside-down)
Well, it comes in waves, but it's hardest from the start
I'm here, no matter where you are
So let it in with, open arms, no matter where you are
Sometimes, you'll have to wait,
And it passes by like a satellite or star
No matter where you are
(When your best friends are strung out)
You know when (Ooh-hoo-hoo)
(When you feel up in the clouds)
Oh, yeah, you know when (Ooh-hoo-hoo)
(When your best friends are strung out)
Oh, yeah, you know when
You ought to know
That I'm here no matter where you want to go
(In your head, hanging upside-down)
Yeah, you know when
That's how you know
When your best friends are strung out
You'll do everything you can
'Cause you're never gonna let it get em down
(When you find it all around)
Yeah, it comes in waves, but it's hardest from the start
Feeling, sleeping, in the field again,
Oh, I can feel, I can feel
I can feel, it's beginning to end
Yeah, premonition smiling in the dark
Oh, I can see, I can see
I can see the story starting to arc
Oh, oh, oh, oh
It's comes up
I've been a spoken word
I've been a river bed
I've been a rabid voice
And let it flow up from within
Sometimes it feels like I only dream in black and white
Ah, ah, ah, ah
And colors so
(When your best friends are strung out)
You'll do everything you can
'Cause you're never gonna let it get em down
(When you find it all around)
Yeah, you say it's what you need
And hide your eyes when you're close to me
(When you feel up in the clouds)
Well, it comes in waves, but it's hardest from the start
Waits, and fed us, slipping into dreams
Oh, I can feel, I can feel
I can feel the celestial beings
Oh welted pleasures leaving with the breath
I can see, I can see
I can see the beauty in the mask
Oh, oh, oh, oh
It draws up
I've been a river bed
I tried to salt the wound
I've carried more than I can
I feel I've got a lot to prove
Sometimes I feel like I only dream in black and white
Oh, oh, oh, oh
But colors so
(When your best friends are strung out)
You'll do everything you can
'Cause you're never gonna let it get em down
(When you find it all around)
Yeah, you say it's what you need
You hide your eyes when you're close to me
(When you feel up in the clouds)
You ought to know
That I'm here no matter where you want to go
(In your head hanging upside-down)
Well, it comes in waves, but it's hardest from the start
I'm here, no matter where you are
So let it in with, open arms, no matter where you are
Sometimes, you'll have to wait,
And it passes by like a satellite or star
No matter where you are
(When your best friends are strung out)
You know when (Ooh-hoo-hoo)
(When you feel up in the clouds)
Oh, yeah, you know when (Ooh-hoo-hoo)
(When your best friends are strung out)
Oh, yeah, you know when
You ought to know
That I'm here no matter where you want to go
(In your head, hanging upside-down)
Yeah, you know when
That's how you know
When your best friends are strung out
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Mountain Song
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"'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."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
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I think this song is simple. It's about helping your friends out no matter what.