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."
[Part I - Awakening]
[Daybreak]
A September sun emerges through clouds, chasing across the sky.
Thoughts are evoked behind detached eyes but people are just passing by:
With smiles for protection.
Unable to see
Behind the creature that he seems to be.
Once he was a child with burning desires
With hopes and dreams of what was to come.
So he's lost some faith but still there are fires
deep inside that he must drench to numb.
If we could try to share some of his wounds just for a while.
But we're all just people passing by!
[Midday]
He's searching through crowds for one that is gone.
Rejecting the facts one more day.
Talking too loud to silence the glow.
Coldness becoming his way.
Empathy can't reach through all that blame!
Smiles now forgotten, locked in their frames!
Now he's counting time in beggings and bottles
Fading away beneath old news.
So he lost a war: "will I be dead very long?"
He can still hear his voice through the coldness!
If we could try to ease some of his pain just for a while.
But we're all just people passing by!
[Part II - Memorials]
[Instrumental]
[Part III - Nightfall]
Once he was strong, and filled with visions.
With life ahead he set his aims.
Then things went wrong.
Now his ambitions have turned to smiles conserved in frames.
Still could be strong could be a prophet!
He would teach truth to every man!
He'd see the light through every shadow, but Entropia denies he can!
He's sitting numb while dusk is falling. Alone he whispers his "goodnight"
Turning away, when sleep is calling, from all the people passing by...
[Daybreak]
A September sun emerges through clouds, chasing across the sky.
Thoughts are evoked behind detached eyes but people are just passing by:
With smiles for protection.
Unable to see
Behind the creature that he seems to be.
Once he was a child with burning desires
With hopes and dreams of what was to come.
So he's lost some faith but still there are fires
deep inside that he must drench to numb.
If we could try to share some of his wounds just for a while.
But we're all just people passing by!
[Midday]
He's searching through crowds for one that is gone.
Rejecting the facts one more day.
Talking too loud to silence the glow.
Coldness becoming his way.
Empathy can't reach through all that blame!
Smiles now forgotten, locked in their frames!
Now he's counting time in beggings and bottles
Fading away beneath old news.
So he lost a war: "will I be dead very long?"
He can still hear his voice through the coldness!
If we could try to ease some of his pain just for a while.
But we're all just people passing by!
[Part II - Memorials]
[Instrumental]
[Part III - Nightfall]
Once he was strong, and filled with visions.
With life ahead he set his aims.
Then things went wrong.
Now his ambitions have turned to smiles conserved in frames.
Still could be strong could be a prophet!
He would teach truth to every man!
He'd see the light through every shadow, but Entropia denies he can!
He's sitting numb while dusk is falling. Alone he whispers his "goodnight"
Turning away, when sleep is calling, from all the people passing by...
Lyrics submitted by carlos_avdas, edited by sokorny
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