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."
This ain´t no motherfuckin´ stick up just pick the stick up
And watch it roll real close rolling out my hand ´til
It cracks to that fucking dome living off the curb
That peels you from the curb I lick the rest off
Do you dig many in ´93 been making them fools ´bout
Round bumping around me you´ll want to run from
Underground at the best walk the live from
The verb on the beats I won´t see you fuckin´ head
Peers I flow
And mother she
Won´t drain herself
And won´t be caught in
All live in a big world
Began just because
My life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Because my life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
My life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Because my my life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Get straight quickly
Been making them fools ´bout
Round bumping around me you´ll want to run from
Underground at the best walk the live from
The verb on the beats I won´t see you fuckin´ head
Peers I flow
And mother she
Won´t drain herself
And won´t be caught in
She did what
She did what
She did what
Just because my life is un-rise - wipe
Lyrical - did
Because my life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Because my life is un-rise - wipe
Lyrical - did
Because psycho - wipe
Lyrical - did
Wipe - did - wipe - did
First one - wipe
Lyrical - did
Last one - wipe
Lyrical - did
Begin in me because
My psycho - wipe
What lyrical - did
Stop the fuckin´ - wipe
The lyrical - did
Big into the wipe - did - wipe - did
Wipe - did - wipe - did
And watch it roll real close rolling out my hand ´til
It cracks to that fucking dome living off the curb
That peels you from the curb I lick the rest off
Do you dig many in ´93 been making them fools ´bout
Round bumping around me you´ll want to run from
Underground at the best walk the live from
The verb on the beats I won´t see you fuckin´ head
Peers I flow
And mother she
Won´t drain herself
And won´t be caught in
All live in a big world
Began just because
My life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Because my life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
My life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Because my my life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Get straight quickly
Been making them fools ´bout
Round bumping around me you´ll want to run from
Underground at the best walk the live from
The verb on the beats I won´t see you fuckin´ head
Peers I flow
And mother she
Won´t drain herself
And won´t be caught in
She did what
She did what
She did what
Just because my life is un-rise - wipe
Lyrical - did
Because my life is un-rise - wipe
The lyrical did - did
Because my life is un-rise - wipe
Lyrical - did
Because psycho - wipe
Lyrical - did
Wipe - did - wipe - did
First one - wipe
Lyrical - did
Last one - wipe
Lyrical - did
Begin in me because
My psycho - wipe
What lyrical - did
Stop the fuckin´ - wipe
The lyrical - did
Big into the wipe - did - wipe - did
Wipe - did - wipe - did
Lyrics submitted by sean, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Engine No. 9 Lyrics as written by Abran Cunningham Abe Cunningham
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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Engine #9 is the little engine that could.