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."
They like to get you in a compromising position
They like to get you there and smile in your face
They think, they're so cute when they got you in that condition
Well I think it's a total disgrace, and I say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I been doing it, since I was a young kid
I've come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I call up my preacher
I say, "Gimme strength for Round 5"
He said "You don't need no strength, you need to grow up, son"
I said "Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying
And dying to me don't sound like all that much fun", and so I'll say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I been doing it, since I was a young kid
I've come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no no
I fight authority, authority always wins
I fight authority, authority always wins (kick it in)
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, Authority always wins
So I said
I fight authority, authority always wins (oh no)
Well I fight authority, authority always wins (oh no no)
Well I've doing it since I was a young kid (oh no)
They like to get you there and smile in your face
They think, they're so cute when they got you in that condition
Well I think it's a total disgrace, and I say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I been doing it, since I was a young kid
I've come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I call up my preacher
I say, "Gimme strength for Round 5"
He said "You don't need no strength, you need to grow up, son"
I said "Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying
And dying to me don't sound like all that much fun", and so I'll say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I been doing it, since I was a young kid
I've come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no no
I fight authority, authority always wins
I fight authority, authority always wins (kick it in)
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, Authority always wins
So I said
I fight authority, authority always wins (oh no)
Well I fight authority, authority always wins (oh no no)
Well I've doing it since I was a young kid (oh no)
Lyrics submitted by rabidpenguin
Authority Song Lyrics as written by John Mellencamp
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Song kinda reminds me of I Fought The Law
@kfe2 I'm not sure why everyone is downvoting the "I fought the Law" comments. "I fought the law and the law won" "I fight authority, authority always wins" He just swapped out one word.
@kfe2 John Mellencamp himself is quoted as saying I thought of it as the new I fought the law.
This song also kinda reminds me of "I Fought the Law." The first verse reminds me of all the times I've been pulled over by the police.
My teacher said that it was my grade's theme song. Just about trying to rebel but always being rebuked or caught or whatever.
Glad I'm not the only one who thought of I fought the law
I like this song, although the lyrics are sparce. It has a good beat and the sentiment is nice. Spent my teens up until my mid 30's fighting authority (and sometimes just being sneaky and getting around it:), and now find myself returning to the time of that fighting spirit....only different causes. I like the line "Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying, And dying to me don't sound like all that much fun." Authority usually wins, but I like the idea of at least trying...
It's not about fighting the government. It's about young rebellion. Fighting the status quo, or the establishment. When society in general says do this, you don't, and then you just keep doing it into adulthood. I think we all know this person in some capacity. The one who constantly gets kicked out of every bar, causes a scene everywhere they go, can't compromise, and just goes on forever with their antics. It's both noble and pathetic at the same time. They get off on it a bit. Come out grinnin with a black eye.
@robnat And they always feel the world is against them. Everything is a fight.
I think that mellencamp has better lyrics then this song.
Keep fighting the government even when they knock you down. Never give up. Inspire a new generation to take your place. Haha, just like the music vid.
This song is a total rip of I Fought The Law (he even mentions Bobby Fuller in one of my least favorite songs of all time, R.O.C.K. - it's beneath him), but a fine example of "Making It Your Own".
There's nothing new under the sun, and rock and roll is a limited form, the "theft" has to come from somewhere, and I don't think JM would deny that this is an IFTL twin.
at least it's not as bad as The Eagles trying to pass off The Long Run (the song)as "original" (from what I understand, Bob Seger - a friend of the band - covered "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" just to make that point lol).
I also happen to think this song differs from I Fought The Law in that IFTL is about a specific incident that lands the singer in jail, and how he misses his girl, while Authority Song is more about the general conformity that human beings expect from each other, the jealousy conformists feel about non-conformists, and how human beings like to see others fail when they don't follow the accepted order. go back and look at the lyrics, it's all there!