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."
How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
Now that you know who you are
What do you want to be
And have you traveled very far?
Far as the eye can see
How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
How often have you been there
Often enough to know
What did you see when you were there
Nothing that doesn't show
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo
What a thing to do
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
Tuned to a natural E
Happy to be that way
Now that you've found another key
What are you going to play
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo
What a thing to do
Baby, baby, you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too (oh)
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man (baby)
Baby you're a rich man, too
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
One of the beautiful people
Now that you know who you are
What do you want to be
And have you traveled very far?
Far as the eye can see
How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
How often have you been there
Often enough to know
What did you see when you were there
Nothing that doesn't show
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo
What a thing to do
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
Tuned to a natural E
Happy to be that way
Now that you've found another key
What are you going to play
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo
What a thing to do
Baby, baby, you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too (oh)
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man (baby)
Baby you're a rich man, too
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
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Mountain Song
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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Amazing
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American Town
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I like the song...except the zoo line. It's a cop out rhyme.
@airforbes1 The original lyric was “keep all your money in a big brown bag, inside the Louvre, what a thing to do”, (referring to Musee du Louvre, art museum in Paris) What does the money in a big brown bag have to do with the Louvre? Ringo had an idiosyncratic preference for being paid in cash in an undistinguished brown bag. The Beatles had toured Paris that year and while at the Louvre Ringo mused that with so much security guarding the paintings and sculpture, the Louvre would be a good place to keep his cash safe. The Louvre was better than a British bank. Ringo was paranoid about British banks and where to put his cash and avoid taxes. The Paris based Louvre was that place to keep it hidden from the highly taxing British government. So Louvre, the hang out for beautiful people also became the place to keep Ringo’s bag of cash. The song is primarily a message to Epstein, a nerd as a youngster, who loved hanging with this crowd of beautiful people.<br /> <br /> Why would Ringo put his bag of money in the zoo? It doesn’t make sense unless you understand that Epstein was wary of copyright objections and asked the Beatles to change it. Ringo volunteered the word Zoo, it substituted well in the lyric, was used and assumed to be the original verse ever since.