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."
I look out below me the clouds on top the blue
Kids thinking about nothing, cause there's
Absolutely nothing to do.
The door ain't wide just open, open to the sky
On top the cage keep hopin', sayin cause on top
The cage just try, on top the cage
Help out your brother to the light at peace is a
Helping hand
With help from our mother we shine so bright and
March to the father's land
I said we take the spot and we take it up top and
The key fits in the lock
You come with me on this lifting walk, and you
Know you never come back
Because on top the cage is the harmony that bars
And chains never chime
Wherever we go it's not far for me, better befriend
Old man time.
I stood on top of this cage one night, all night long
From here the view was proud
I could see all these beautiful clouds
So I told people come out of your cage
Time to break lock forever
Join together march on top hold my hand, say
Goodbye to never
You can be my man if you want to hang out here
Just me and my girl on top of this world and we sit
There and we stare
At the clouds, green hills, and the mountaintops,
And the river to the side
You can come too, if you want, you don't have to hide
Kids thinking about nothing, cause there's
Absolutely nothing to do.
The door ain't wide just open, open to the sky
On top the cage keep hopin', sayin cause on top
The cage just try, on top the cage
Help out your brother to the light at peace is a
Helping hand
With help from our mother we shine so bright and
March to the father's land
I said we take the spot and we take it up top and
The key fits in the lock
You come with me on this lifting walk, and you
Know you never come back
Because on top the cage is the harmony that bars
And chains never chime
Wherever we go it's not far for me, better befriend
Old man time.
I stood on top of this cage one night, all night long
From here the view was proud
I could see all these beautiful clouds
So I told people come out of your cage
Time to break lock forever
Join together march on top hold my hand, say
Goodbye to never
You can be my man if you want to hang out here
Just me and my girl on top of this world and we sit
There and we stare
At the clouds, green hills, and the mountaintops,
And the river to the side
You can come too, if you want, you don't have to hide
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i think this song is about racism. how it doesnt matter wut color you are. or it can lead to other things like it doesnt matter wut you look like or wut you wear. as long as your happy with yourself and it doesnt matter what people think. and also how you should rise above other influences and get away from it all