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."
Chill out, what you yelling for?
Lay back, it's all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see
I like you the way you are
When we're drivin' in your car
And you're talking to me one on one
But you've become
Somebody else 'round everyone else
Watching your back like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're
Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty, you promised me I'm never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
You come over unannounced
Dressed up like you're somethin' else
Where you are ain't where it's at you see, you're making me
Laugh out when you strike your pose
Take off all your preppy clothes
You know, you're not fooling anyone
When you become
Somebody else 'round everyone else
Watchin' your back like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're
Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty, you promised me, I'm never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
Lay back, it's all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see
I like you the way you are
When we're drivin' in your car
And you're talking to me one on one
But you've become
Somebody else 'round everyone else
Watching your back like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're
Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty, you promised me I'm never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
You come over unannounced
Dressed up like you're somethin' else
Where you are ain't where it's at you see, you're making me
Laugh out when you strike your pose
Take off all your preppy clothes
You know, you're not fooling anyone
When you become
Somebody else 'round everyone else
Watchin' your back like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're
Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty, you promised me, I'm never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
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Mountain Song
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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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