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.
Say a word for Jimmy Brown
He ain't got nothing at all
Not the shirt right off his back
He ain't got nothing at all
And say a word for Ginger Brown
Walks with his head down to the ground
Took the shoes right off his feet
Threw the poor boy right out in the street
And this is what he said
Oh, sweet nothin'
She ain't got nothin' at all
Oh, sweet nothin'
She ain't got nothin' at all
Say a word for Pearly May
She can't tell the night from the day
They threw her out in the street
But just like a cat, she landed on her feet
And say a word for Joana Love
She ain't got nothing at all
'Cause everyday she falls in love
And every night she falls
And when she does, she says
Oh, sweet nothin'
You know she he ain't got nothing at all, whoa-whoa
Oh, sweet nothin', yeah
She ain't got nothin' at all
Oh, let me hear you
Oh, say a word (oh, sweet nothin')
Say a word for Jimmy Brown
He ain't got nothin' at all, not a thing
Not the shirt, shirt on his back (oh, sweet nothin')
No, he ain't got nothing at all
And say a word for Ginger (oh, sweet nothin')
He walks (he ain't got nothin' at all)
With his head down to the ground
They took the shoes (oh, sweet nothin')
Took the shoes from his feet, from his feet
And threw poor boy (he ain't got nothin' at all)
Out into the street, and then he said
Oh, sweet, sweet nothin'
She ain't got, she ain't got
She ain't got nothin' at all
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet nothin'
(Ain't got nothing at all) she ain't got
Sweet, sweet nothin' (oh, sweet nothin')
Sweet, sweet nothin' (she ain't got nothin' at all)
Uh, sweet, sweet nothin, got nothin'
Oh, sweet nothin', whoa
(Ain't got nothin' at all) sweet nothin' at all
Oh, let me hear ya
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all, sweet nothin'
Ain't got nothin' at all, sweet, sweet nothin'
She ain't got nothin' at all
He ain't got nothing at all
Not the shirt right off his back
He ain't got nothing at all
And say a word for Ginger Brown
Walks with his head down to the ground
Took the shoes right off his feet
Threw the poor boy right out in the street
And this is what he said
Oh, sweet nothin'
She ain't got nothin' at all
Oh, sweet nothin'
She ain't got nothin' at all
Say a word for Pearly May
She can't tell the night from the day
They threw her out in the street
But just like a cat, she landed on her feet
And say a word for Joana Love
She ain't got nothing at all
'Cause everyday she falls in love
And every night she falls
And when she does, she says
Oh, sweet nothin'
You know she he ain't got nothing at all, whoa-whoa
Oh, sweet nothin', yeah
She ain't got nothin' at all
Oh, let me hear you
Oh, say a word (oh, sweet nothin')
Say a word for Jimmy Brown
He ain't got nothin' at all, not a thing
Not the shirt, shirt on his back (oh, sweet nothin')
No, he ain't got nothing at all
And say a word for Ginger (oh, sweet nothin')
He walks (he ain't got nothin' at all)
With his head down to the ground
They took the shoes (oh, sweet nothin')
Took the shoes from his feet, from his feet
And threw poor boy (he ain't got nothin' at all)
Out into the street, and then he said
Oh, sweet, sweet nothin'
She ain't got, she ain't got
She ain't got nothin' at all
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet nothin'
(Ain't got nothing at all) she ain't got
Sweet, sweet nothin' (oh, sweet nothin')
Sweet, sweet nothin' (she ain't got nothin' at all)
Uh, sweet, sweet nothin, got nothin'
Oh, sweet nothin', whoa
(Ain't got nothin' at all) sweet nothin' at all
Oh, let me hear ya
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all
She ain't got nothin' at all, sweet nothin'
Ain't got nothin' at all, sweet, sweet nothin'
She ain't got nothin' at all
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
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Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
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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
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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."
i also agree thebodiesobtained, but i wouldn't call it true happiness. the song's bittersweet, like the title, having nothing can be sweet because you are completely free but it is still depressing to just have nothing. to me the song sounds depressing in general, but there's something oddly sweet sounding in the little guitar solo, no?
"Sweet nothing" is just an expression that's been around for ages. It's not meant to be taken literally. Does anyone really believe that having nothing is "sweet"? On what planet is this? Surely the phrase is being used ironically here.