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."
Everyone's feeling pretty
It's hotter than July
Though the world's full of problems
They couldn't touch us even if they tried
From the park I hear rhythms
Marley's hot on the box
Tonight there will be a party
On the corner at the end of the block
Didn't know you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
See, nobody ever told you
That you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
You would be jammin' and jammin' and jammin' jam oh
They want us to join their fighting
But our answer today
Is to let all our worries
Like the breeze through our fingers slip away
Peace has come to Zimbabwe
Third World's right on the one
Now's the time for celebration
'Cause we've only just begun
Didn't know you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
See, nobody ever told you
That you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Bet you nobody ever told you that you
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I know nobody told you that you
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn (we're in the middle of the makin's)
(Of the master blaster jammin')
But gonna jammin', jammin', jammin', jam on
You ask me am I happy
Well as matter of fact
I can say that I'm ecstatic
'Cause we all just made a pact
We've agreed to get together
Joined as children in Jah
When you're moving in the positive
Your destination is the brightest star
You didn't know you
(We're in the middle of the makin's)
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn (of the master blaster jammin')
Bet you nobody ever told you that you (We're in the middle of the makin's)
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Oh, you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Don't you stop the music, no no
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
I bet you if someone approaches you
Yesterday to tell you that you would be jammin' you would not believe it
Because you never thought that you would be jammin' oh, oh, oh, oh
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Oh, oh, oh, you may as well believe what you are feeling
Because you feel your body jammin'
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
It's hotter than July
Though the world's full of problems
They couldn't touch us even if they tried
From the park I hear rhythms
Marley's hot on the box
Tonight there will be a party
On the corner at the end of the block
Didn't know you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
See, nobody ever told you
That you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
You would be jammin' and jammin' and jammin' jam oh
They want us to join their fighting
But our answer today
Is to let all our worries
Like the breeze through our fingers slip away
Peace has come to Zimbabwe
Third World's right on the one
Now's the time for celebration
'Cause we've only just begun
Didn't know you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
See, nobody ever told you
That you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Bet you nobody ever told you that you
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
I know nobody told you that you
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn (we're in the middle of the makin's)
(Of the master blaster jammin')
But gonna jammin', jammin', jammin', jam on
You ask me am I happy
Well as matter of fact
I can say that I'm ecstatic
'Cause we all just made a pact
We've agreed to get together
Joined as children in Jah
When you're moving in the positive
Your destination is the brightest star
You didn't know you
(We're in the middle of the makin's)
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn (of the master blaster jammin')
Bet you nobody ever told you that you (We're in the middle of the makin's)
Would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Oh, you would be jammin' until the break of dawn
Don't you stop the music, no no
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
I bet you if someone approaches you
Yesterday to tell you that you would be jammin' you would not believe it
Because you never thought that you would be jammin' oh, oh, oh, oh
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
Oh, oh, oh, you may as well believe what you are feeling
Because you feel your body jammin'
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
(We're in the middle of the makin's of the master blaster jammin')
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Mountain Song
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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.
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