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."
want to feel what I touch
want to find what was lost
want to be kind
As you see every curse
And in a dream it'll work
Now you'll feel tied
want to praise with this life
And conceal without lies
I just need time
want to fight every need
Every push every string
Will you stand by?
I've been awake through the wrong decisions
I've held the ground now I'm gaining soul
I bit my tongue through the cold realizations
I've been accused but I've only begun
want to speak what I've seen
want to reach what I've dreamed
want to be kind
want to seal what I've cut
want to hear without rush
want to ease time
With your hand on your loss
Our scene truly cost
No one told you
And we grew from the day
Into night I'm ashamed
I will join you
I've been awake through the wrong decisions
I've held my ground now I'm gaining soul
I bit my tongue through the cold realizations
I've been accused, but I've only begun
Take me on, take me on
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
In the end only once
All you need is a touch
want to see love
Every thought you'll be shown
Every act will be known
I defend you
We'll awake every sound
Every chance I'll be found
I'll be with you
To the end now you come
Show your hands to the ones
To behold you
I've been awake through the wrong decisions
I've held my ground now I'm gaining soul
I've held my tongue through the cold realizations
I've been accused, but I've only begun
Take me on, take me on
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
(Take me on, take me on)
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
want to find what was lost
want to be kind
As you see every curse
And in a dream it'll work
Now you'll feel tied
want to praise with this life
And conceal without lies
I just need time
want to fight every need
Every push every string
Will you stand by?
I've been awake through the wrong decisions
I've held the ground now I'm gaining soul
I bit my tongue through the cold realizations
I've been accused but I've only begun
want to speak what I've seen
want to reach what I've dreamed
want to be kind
want to seal what I've cut
want to hear without rush
want to ease time
With your hand on your loss
Our scene truly cost
No one told you
And we grew from the day
Into night I'm ashamed
I will join you
I've been awake through the wrong decisions
I've held my ground now I'm gaining soul
I bit my tongue through the cold realizations
I've been accused, but I've only begun
Take me on, take me on
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
In the end only once
All you need is a touch
want to see love
Every thought you'll be shown
Every act will be known
I defend you
We'll awake every sound
Every chance I'll be found
I'll be with you
To the end now you come
Show your hands to the ones
To behold you
I've been awake through the wrong decisions
I've held my ground now I'm gaining soul
I've held my tongue through the cold realizations
I've been accused, but I've only begun
Take me on, take me on
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
(Take me on, take me on)
I've been awake, shaking to a rage
Lyrics submitted by OwnPersonalDemon
Awake Lyrics as written by Robert Turner Peter Hayes
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
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.
This song always makes me think of being in love with someone but believing that for some reason they won't love you back, there's something you've done wrong, but you still hope they're going to turn around since you realized what you've done was a mistake.
To me, this song means that someone wants to change for the better. And the person asks if his lover or friend will stay beside him.