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."
And so it was written, and after all these things,
I saw another angel come down from heaven
Having great power and the earth was lighted with his glory
And he cried mightily with the strong voice saying
"Babylon the great has fallen,
it's fallen and has become the habitation of devils
and the home to every fowl spirit and a cage of very unclean and hateful men" Yeah
What you see is what you get now
Xzibit never wait around for kick downs
get my own shit, blowe
Shot heard around the world
Uplift, bench press, arm curl
keep the structure of the temple
To make things simple my existance is to ripple through time
Only concern is what is mine, divine, never monkey shine
walkin' down the very thin line
holdin' wait, runnin' crazy in the streets, Yeah
Plus the company I keep work in overtime
While you oversleep
don't wanna see none of this evil I speak
Around on the atlas, cume la matra, the super actress
You all get close-lined and pinned the mattress
All day, every day, every which way
Who said to can't have your take
You need a tune (fuck you)
This is a hard time on planet earth
For what it's worth Xzibit stand
station without reabilitation like this
Pimps, players, hoes, hustlers, willes thugs, ballers, busters,
gangstas, macks everyday, all day, shot callers, even high rollers keep it moving
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
And that's the real shit
You got more than you bargained for
Hit the floor I pull a fast one
To let you know that today could be your last one,
black, take your breath like an asthma attack
Just a slave like Flava Flav, you're blind to the fact
Mr. X to the Z the Liks and King T
guranteed to bring the house down naturally
Niggas knowin' no limits lime Master P
makin' you motherfuckin' bastards see,
what, a whole different breed of MC
Realize it's you against me
catch a three-hundred and sixty degree
roundhouse to the mouth right
and like the sun, make the hot shit shine bright
I feelin' like my whole life is a green light never turn red
'cause I strike like a rattle-snake, lock like a dread
Niggas wanna bump heads but they better off dead
Came crashin' through the door like the Feds, bring it
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
And that's the real shit
And yeah, everybody start to rush
Swingin' through is your friendly neighborhood lush
I crack your bottle than watch how Xzibit bust
I regulate like a killer with a nickel plate
Uh set it straight and start to shakin' you down
breakin' new ground, construction work
heavy artilary, put your dick in the dirt
Stay alert, the game is rough so you might get hurt
Slug burnt through your jacket, through your sweater, through your shirt Get cut from th belly up
I burnt the chain fast lane, suck my sugar cane
I'm tryin' to spart that niggas brain
while you entertain trivial things,
material things, protected by the underground kings
who rule the land with an iron fist
The "Men In Black", if we flash can't remember shit
You cross me, I'll make you pay like the government,
I wanna kill Sam
'cause my package came short 12 grames, get the picture
Pimps, players, hoes, hustlers, willes thugs, ballers, busters,
gangstas, macks everyday, all day, shot callers, even high rollers keep it moving
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam
I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style that makes you go wow
Bless the child Bless the child
And no matter where I roam
I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
What you see is what you get now
I saw another angel come down from heaven
Having great power and the earth was lighted with his glory
And he cried mightily with the strong voice saying
"Babylon the great has fallen,
it's fallen and has become the habitation of devils
and the home to every fowl spirit and a cage of very unclean and hateful men" Yeah
What you see is what you get now
Xzibit never wait around for kick downs
get my own shit, blowe
Shot heard around the world
Uplift, bench press, arm curl
keep the structure of the temple
To make things simple my existance is to ripple through time
Only concern is what is mine, divine, never monkey shine
walkin' down the very thin line
holdin' wait, runnin' crazy in the streets, Yeah
Plus the company I keep work in overtime
While you oversleep
don't wanna see none of this evil I speak
Around on the atlas, cume la matra, the super actress
You all get close-lined and pinned the mattress
All day, every day, every which way
Who said to can't have your take
You need a tune (fuck you)
This is a hard time on planet earth
For what it's worth Xzibit stand
station without reabilitation like this
Pimps, players, hoes, hustlers, willes thugs, ballers, busters,
gangstas, macks everyday, all day, shot callers, even high rollers keep it moving
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
And that's the real shit
You got more than you bargained for
Hit the floor I pull a fast one
To let you know that today could be your last one,
black, take your breath like an asthma attack
Just a slave like Flava Flav, you're blind to the fact
Mr. X to the Z the Liks and King T
guranteed to bring the house down naturally
Niggas knowin' no limits lime Master P
makin' you motherfuckin' bastards see,
what, a whole different breed of MC
Realize it's you against me
catch a three-hundred and sixty degree
roundhouse to the mouth right
and like the sun, make the hot shit shine bright
I feelin' like my whole life is a green light never turn red
'cause I strike like a rattle-snake, lock like a dread
Niggas wanna bump heads but they better off dead
Came crashin' through the door like the Feds, bring it
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
And that's the real shit
And yeah, everybody start to rush
Swingin' through is your friendly neighborhood lush
I crack your bottle than watch how Xzibit bust
I regulate like a killer with a nickel plate
Uh set it straight and start to shakin' you down
breakin' new ground, construction work
heavy artilary, put your dick in the dirt
Stay alert, the game is rough so you might get hurt
Slug burnt through your jacket, through your sweater, through your shirt Get cut from th belly up
I burnt the chain fast lane, suck my sugar cane
I'm tryin' to spart that niggas brain
while you entertain trivial things,
material things, protected by the underground kings
who rule the land with an iron fist
The "Men In Black", if we flash can't remember shit
You cross me, I'll make you pay like the government,
I wanna kill Sam
'cause my package came short 12 grames, get the picture
Pimps, players, hoes, hustlers, willes thugs, ballers, busters,
gangstas, macks everyday, all day, shot callers, even high rollers keep it moving
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam
I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style make the whole world go wow
Bless the child like a hoe who's on flesh 'n bone
and no matter where I roam I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
The kinda style that makes you go wow
Bless the child Bless the child
And no matter where I roam
I feel right at home
What you see is what you get now
What you see is what you get now
Lyrics submitted by Seven
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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,
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song was performed with Xzibit who originally released it on the 40 Dayz And 40 Nightz album in 1998