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."
What you go and do
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
When he hold it in his hand
He feel mighty he feel strong
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
One day he may come back
Repay us for what we've done
Then where you gonna run to
Where you gonna run
But one fine day
All our problems will be solved
Bang bang bang
We'll shoot him down
Give him drugs and give him candy
Anything, oh to make him think he's happy
And he won't ever come for us
He won't ever come
But if he does
And if there's no one else around
Bang bang bang
We'll shoot him down
If he preys only on his neighbors
Brothers, sisters and friends
We'll consider it a favor
We'll consider justice done
But if he comes for you or me
And we can place a gun in his hand
Bang bang bang
We'll shoot him dead
What you go and do
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
Now we'll all be at his mercy
If he decides to hunt us down
'Cause there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
If he wants the chances that you took from him
Oh, and nothing that you own
Then there'll be no place to run to
There'll be no place to run
And if he finds himself to be
A reflection of us all
Bang bang bang
He'll shoot us down
Before you can raise your eyes to read
The writing on the wall
Bang bang bang
He'll shoot you down
Before you can bridge the gulf between
And embrace him in your arms
Bang bang bang
He'll shoot you down
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
When he hold it in his hand
He feel mighty he feel strong
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
One day he may come back
Repay us for what we've done
Then where you gonna run to
Where you gonna run
But one fine day
All our problems will be solved
Bang bang bang
We'll shoot him down
Give him drugs and give him candy
Anything, oh to make him think he's happy
And he won't ever come for us
He won't ever come
But if he does
And if there's no one else around
Bang bang bang
We'll shoot him down
If he preys only on his neighbors
Brothers, sisters and friends
We'll consider it a favor
We'll consider justice done
But if he comes for you or me
And we can place a gun in his hand
Bang bang bang
We'll shoot him dead
What you go and do
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
Now we'll all be at his mercy
If he decides to hunt us down
'Cause there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
If he wants the chances that you took from him
Oh, and nothing that you own
Then there'll be no place to run to
There'll be no place to run
And if he finds himself to be
A reflection of us all
Bang bang bang
He'll shoot us down
Before you can raise your eyes to read
The writing on the wall
Bang bang bang
He'll shoot you down
Before you can bridge the gulf between
And embrace him in your arms
Bang bang bang
He'll shoot you down
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
We create poverty. We sell an image of masculenity and strength. We keep the poor poor and give them drugs and alcohol to anesthetise (sp?) them. At the same time, we sell a "bad boy" image. People then give this man anything he wants to keep him happy so that he leaves them alone. If he still comes after them, they blame him for his lifestyle. They'll kill him and say that he desrved it.... "problem solved" - He is dead. If however, he only robs and murders other poor black people, others consider it a favor because its less for them to deal with. We force poverty on people and then wonder why they get violent. The cycle repeats itself, yet no one figures it out. In the meanwhile people are dying. Before we have learned to love and drop our prejudices, more violence happens. This is a song about classism, racism, and a never ending cycle of violence.
It can't be just about gun control...Verses like "If he wants the chances that you took from him" ..won't make no sense, and Tracy Chapman's words ALWAYS make sense!!
It makes me think of how my parents mistreated me as a kid, but stopped once I learned to stand up to them. Now they buy me anything I want pretending like we get along. I spend all the money on drugs to hide from my anger, but it's not solving anything. In fact, even the handouts upset me now. I want off drugs, but what will happen when I no longer want anything they own? Will there be enough stones to throw?
To me, these lyrics are all about a powerful nation controlling a poor country by arming them on which ever pretext; Civil strife, overthrow of corrupt governments or protection against another powerful nation. Once this has been achieved however, this poor country finds its own way and comes back to bite you. IE: Afghanistan and the Taliban.
This song is about miseducation and how uncompassionate people can be
To me, this is simply about gun control. You give the troubled kid a chance to own a gun, or have access to a gun, and bad things will happen.