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."
Hey lady, won't you be my dog
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
Hey lady, won't you be my dog
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
Hey lady, won't you be my dog
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
We will do you no harm
Other than pee in your afro
Hey lady, won't you be my dog
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
Even if you don't dig it
Don't mean it's not the thing or thing to do
It could be just for you
Even if you don't feel it
Right now don't mean someday it'll turn you out
You'll be out of sight
You really shouldn't ought to fight it
The music is designed to do no harm
It's just for you
With just a little bit of effort
I can and well we might just turn you on
Even if you don't admit it
The time for change is here and here we are
We're just for you
Stick us in your ear and dig us
One time, one time, one time, one time and see
We're just for you
You really shouldn't ought to fight it
The music is designed to do no harm
We're just for you
With just a little bit of effort
I can and will we might just turn you on
Music is designed to free your funky mind
We have come to help you cope
Out into another reality
You will be
Through our music we bring you hope
Us is what time it is
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
Song out tonight
Oh, my soul is out tonight
There's a song out tonight
Y'all, come on
There's a song out tonight
Oh, my soul is out tonight
There's a song out tonight
Y'all, come on
There's a song out tonight
Oh, my soul is out tonight
There's a song out tonight
Y'all, come on
Us is what time it is
Even if you don't dig it
Don't mean it's not the thing or thing to do
Could be just for you
You really shouldn't ought to fight it
The music is designed to do no harm
We're just for you
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
Hey lady, won't you be my dog
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
Hey lady, won't you be my dog
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
We will do you no harm
Other than pee in your afro
Hey lady, won't you be my dog
And I'll be your tree
And you can pee on me!
Even if you don't dig it
Don't mean it's not the thing or thing to do
It could be just for you
Even if you don't feel it
Right now don't mean someday it'll turn you out
You'll be out of sight
You really shouldn't ought to fight it
The music is designed to do no harm
It's just for you
With just a little bit of effort
I can and well we might just turn you on
Even if you don't admit it
The time for change is here and here we are
We're just for you
Stick us in your ear and dig us
One time, one time, one time, one time and see
We're just for you
You really shouldn't ought to fight it
The music is designed to do no harm
We're just for you
With just a little bit of effort
I can and will we might just turn you on
Music is designed to free your funky mind
We have come to help you cope
Out into another reality
You will be
Through our music we bring you hope
Us is what time it is
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
Song out tonight
Oh, my soul is out tonight
There's a song out tonight
Y'all, come on
There's a song out tonight
Oh, my soul is out tonight
There's a song out tonight
Y'all, come on
There's a song out tonight
Oh, my soul is out tonight
There's a song out tonight
Y'all, come on
Us is what time it is
Even if you don't dig it
Don't mean it's not the thing or thing to do
Could be just for you
You really shouldn't ought to fight it
The music is designed to do no harm
We're just for you
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
People, what you doing?
Standing on the verge of gettin' it on
Really gettin' it on
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Yeah great song. This band deserve more attention.