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."
La, la, la-la-la
La, la, la-la-la
I wrote her off for the tenth time today
And practiced all the things I would say
But she came over, I lost my nerve
I took her back and made her dessert
Now I know I'm being used
That's okay, man, 'cause I like the abuse
I know she's playin' with me
That's okay 'cause I got no self esteem
Oh, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
We make plans to go out at night
I wait 'til two, then I turn out the light
This rejection's got me so low
If she keeps it up, I just might tell her so
Oh, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
When she's saying, oh, that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying, oh, that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well, I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care
Right? Yeah
Now I'll relate this little bit
It happens more than I'd like to admit
Late at night, she knocks on my door
She's drunk again and looking to score
Now I know I should say no
But it's kind of hard when she's ready to go
I may be dumb, but I'm not a dweeb
I'm just a sucker with no self esteem
Oh, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
When she's saying, oh, that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying, oh, that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well, I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care
Right? Yeah
La, la, la-la-la
I wrote her off for the tenth time today
And practiced all the things I would say
But she came over, I lost my nerve
I took her back and made her dessert
Now I know I'm being used
That's okay, man, 'cause I like the abuse
I know she's playin' with me
That's okay 'cause I got no self esteem
Oh, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
We make plans to go out at night
I wait 'til two, then I turn out the light
This rejection's got me so low
If she keeps it up, I just might tell her so
Oh, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
When she's saying, oh, that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying, oh, that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well, I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care
Right? Yeah
Now I'll relate this little bit
It happens more than I'd like to admit
Late at night, she knocks on my door
She's drunk again and looking to score
Now I know I should say no
But it's kind of hard when she's ready to go
I may be dumb, but I'm not a dweeb
I'm just a sucker with no self esteem
Oh, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah
When she's saying, oh, that she wants only me
Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
When she's saying, oh, that I'm like a disease
Then I wonder how much more I can spend
Well, I guess I should stick up for myself
But I really think it's better this way
The more you suffer
The more it shows you really care
Right? Yeah
Lyrics submitted by spitfirek7, edited by bestman12349
Self Esteem Lyrics as written by Bryan Keith Holland
Lyrics © ROUND HILL CARLIN, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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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.
fuck you suzy! this song has to be about me and my ex gf. the guy is really depressed and lonely (so basically me). he's just happy to have a gf at all, but he knows that she is using him. she's a bitch and tells him what to do and she makes excues when they're susposed to go out. also, she's a big slut who cheats on him and she's an asshole who always puts him down. he needs a girl who will actually care for him (not her, for sure), but he stays with the whole thing, cause he gets lots of sex out of the deal (the only part of the song that isn't about me and that cunt suzy). i love it, i love it, i love it!
Yeah I can relate, except I'm a girl and went through this bullshit with a guy...a guy named Raymon Chiaverelli to be exact. Like you, epp88, Ray did all the shitty stuff the girl in the Offspring song did, except he never gave me lots of sex or even any sex really. Ray obviously has a Madonna-whore complex. Ugh he spends his days reaching out to any and every cute looking girl (especially the alternative looking or emo chicks), and he goes for a lot of girls, so the issue wasn't that he was celibate in general or asexual, he just acted that way towards ME...yet called me an "evil bitch" when I finally told him, right after he dumped me, that I would no longer be waiting around in celibacy for him and would look to hook up and date other guys since he'd dumped me. I guess he didn't want me, but didn't want anyone else to have me either. Ugh. You can find him on Facebook. Search Facebook for "ra browneyes" of Bethlehem, PA. A stupid disgusting whore.