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."
One, it multiplies until you can taste the sun
And burn by the sky, you try to take it from
But if it falls, there's no place to run
Crumbling down, it's (so unreal)
They're dealing you in to the term and your end
And sending you back again to places you've been
And bending your will until it breaks you within
And still, they (fill their eyes)
With the twilight, through the skylight
End the highlights on a frame of steel
See the brightness of your likeness as I write this
On a path through (the way I feel)
Hear the screaming, am I dreaming, as it's seeming
That you've played your part
Like you're heartless, take apart this
In the darkness, but I know that
I've tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I broke down line once there is not what ought to be
Held back by the battles they fought for me
Calling me to be part of their property
And now I see that I (get no chance)
I get no breaks, fakes and snakes
Quickly lead to mistakes
And now the tightrope within slowly starts to thin
I could only hope that they (close their eyes)
With the twilight, through the skylight
End the highlights on a frame of steel
See the brightness of your likeness as I write this
On a path through (the way I feel)
Hear the screaming, am I dreaming, as it's seeming
That you've played your part
Like you're heartless, take apart this in the darkness
But I know that
I've tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
(I put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There's only one thing you should know) x3
I've tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
And burn by the sky, you try to take it from
But if it falls, there's no place to run
Crumbling down, it's (so unreal)
They're dealing you in to the term and your end
And sending you back again to places you've been
And bending your will until it breaks you within
And still, they (fill their eyes)
With the twilight, through the skylight
End the highlights on a frame of steel
See the brightness of your likeness as I write this
On a path through (the way I feel)
Hear the screaming, am I dreaming, as it's seeming
That you've played your part
Like you're heartless, take apart this
In the darkness, but I know that
I've tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I broke down line once there is not what ought to be
Held back by the battles they fought for me
Calling me to be part of their property
And now I see that I (get no chance)
I get no breaks, fakes and snakes
Quickly lead to mistakes
And now the tightrope within slowly starts to thin
I could only hope that they (close their eyes)
With the twilight, through the skylight
End the highlights on a frame of steel
See the brightness of your likeness as I write this
On a path through (the way I feel)
Hear the screaming, am I dreaming, as it's seeming
That you've played your part
Like you're heartless, take apart this in the darkness
But I know that
I've tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
(I put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There's only one thing you should know) x3
I've tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
Lyrics submitted by spitfirek7, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
No one want's to hear what you have to say anyway so don't be too sad that we didn't waste the time too!