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."
A black swan
Is born in that night
The misty pond
(Has) got a new king
Got a new king
So what can we do
With our lives
When it all begins
It's hard and
It's cruel
Will grace die in pain?
Will light ever rise again?
I'm trapped in darkness
Still I reach out for the stars
I'm moving in silence
I leave it all far behind
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll pray at the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Let us march on
To the fields of sacrifice
(I'm) wondering why
I'll carry on
Will I betray myself
To rise
In the silence
It's time to explain
(And)
Search for truth in lies
Useful lies
Needless love's damned
What can we do with our lives
When it all begins
Come follow me
And you will se
How it will be
When all the pain is gone away
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll pray at the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Let us march on
Though there's no hope at our side
Let us be brave
Though by glory we are denied
But
Don't you think
It's time for us
To bring to an end
Come play the song of death
The wisdom in us both
Will make it
Special guaranteed
Play the song of death
I'm lost in the depth of his eyes
I can't flee
Inner pain caused insanity
It's deep within
The fear and the hunger
Enslaved and denied
By my love and my enemies
I'm the illgotten son
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll pray at the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Is born in that night
The misty pond
(Has) got a new king
Got a new king
So what can we do
With our lives
When it all begins
It's hard and
It's cruel
Will grace die in pain?
Will light ever rise again?
I'm trapped in darkness
Still I reach out for the stars
I'm moving in silence
I leave it all far behind
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll pray at the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Let us march on
To the fields of sacrifice
(I'm) wondering why
I'll carry on
Will I betray myself
To rise
In the silence
It's time to explain
(And)
Search for truth in lies
Useful lies
Needless love's damned
What can we do with our lives
When it all begins
Come follow me
And you will se
How it will be
When all the pain is gone away
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll pray at the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Let us march on
Though there's no hope at our side
Let us be brave
Though by glory we are denied
But
Don't you think
It's time for us
To bring to an end
Come play the song of death
The wisdom in us both
Will make it
Special guaranteed
Play the song of death
I'm lost in the depth of his eyes
I can't flee
Inner pain caused insanity
It's deep within
The fear and the hunger
Enslaved and denied
By my love and my enemies
I'm the illgotten son
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll pray at the edge of thorns
Oh at dawn
I'll face the edge of thorns
Lyrics submitted by lyseee
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
Harvest Of Sorrow was written for this album and it's about Túrin's tragic life! I'm not sure why they didn't use it, but I think it's because the album sums up the Silmarillion just half-way through. To before the events around Túrin. They couldn't just put in a random place between the other songs, it would mess up the story. It's certainly not suitable to end an album like NIME with it too, because, as beautiful as it may be, it's not a closer.
This song is not about Túrin! Okay?
Eöl is more likely, but I still believe that it is about Maeglin. Though there are some lines which could refer to Eöl, I think this is important to consider:
'I'm trapped in darkness Still I reach out for the stars I'm moving in silence I leave it all far behind'
This I think tells about when Maeglin ran away from the forest and his father.
And isn't he the 'illgotten son' too?
Not about Túrin! Got it?