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 was burned in the heat of the moment
Though it couldn't have been the heat of the day
When I learned how my time had been wasted,
(And a) tear fell as I turned away
Now I've got friends who will give me their shoulder,
Event I should happen to fall
Time and his bride growing older
I've got friends who will give me fuck all
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
On the corner of Bleeker and nowhere
In the land of not quite day
A shiver ran down my backbone
Face in the mirror turns grey
So I looked round to hitch up the reindeer
Searching hard trying to brighten the day
I turned around to look for the snowman
To my surprise he'd melted away, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
As the moon and the stars call the order
Inside my tides dance the ebb and sway
The sun in my soul's sinking lower
While the hope in my hands turns to clay
I don't ask that my field's full of clover
I don't moan at opportunity's door
And if you ask my advice, take it slower
Then your story'd be your finest reward
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
Oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
Lost on the path to attainment
Search in the eyes of the wise
When I bled from the heart of the matter
I started bleeding without a disguise
Now everything's fine under heaven
Now and then you've got to take time to pause
When you're down on the ground, don't be messin' around
Or you'll land in a boat without oars
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
Hey babe, Hey babe, Hey babe
I lost my way
Hey babe, hey babe
I really, really, really
Hey babe, hey babe
I don't know where I'm gonna find it
Hey babe, hey babe
Do you want to know
Do you really, really, want to help me, yeah?
Let me tell you now, babe
Let me tell you
That it feels so good that it must be right
Now my babe
Let me tell you
That it feels so good that it must be right
Now my babe
Let me tell you
It just feels, it just feels, it just feels, it just feels so good
So good, so good
oh yeah
Though it couldn't have been the heat of the day
When I learned how my time had been wasted,
(And a) tear fell as I turned away
Now I've got friends who will give me their shoulder,
Event I should happen to fall
Time and his bride growing older
I've got friends who will give me fuck all
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
On the corner of Bleeker and nowhere
In the land of not quite day
A shiver ran down my backbone
Face in the mirror turns grey
So I looked round to hitch up the reindeer
Searching hard trying to brighten the day
I turned around to look for the snowman
To my surprise he'd melted away, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
As the moon and the stars call the order
Inside my tides dance the ebb and sway
The sun in my soul's sinking lower
While the hope in my hands turns to clay
I don't ask that my field's full of clover
I don't moan at opportunity's door
And if you ask my advice, take it slower
Then your story'd be your finest reward
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
Oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh
Lost on the path to attainment
Search in the eyes of the wise
When I bled from the heart of the matter
I started bleeding without a disguise
Now everything's fine under heaven
Now and then you've got to take time to pause
When you're down on the ground, don't be messin' around
Or you'll land in a boat without oars
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala, my baby
Lalalalalalalala, yeah
Lalalalalalalala
Hey babe, Hey babe, Hey babe
I lost my way
Hey babe, hey babe
I really, really, really
Hey babe, hey babe
I don't know where I'm gonna find it
Hey babe, hey babe
Do you want to know
Do you really, really, want to help me, yeah?
Let me tell you now, babe
Let me tell you
That it feels so good that it must be right
Now my babe
Let me tell you
That it feels so good that it must be right
Now my babe
Let me tell you
It just feels, it just feels, it just feels, it just feels so good
So good, so good
oh yeah
Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Hots on for Nowhere Lyrics as written by Robert Plant Jimmy Page
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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<3 this song