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 if my two left feet could settle down and split the difference
Tripping over myself in every way that I know how
Perhaps in time I could surpass my coy facade of vast indifference
But I've already reached the maximum of what my law allows
You tell me to relax you tell me
Not to try so hard
But in the end it only makes me want to more
To figure out some way to play some major part
So I watch her move and I watch her work
Satisfy my voyeuristic quirk
Old habits they are hard to break
Just harder than it is to take
And when she looks away I tap my feet
I try my best to be discreet
Careful so she won't find out
How much I want to shout
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
I suppose the thing that gets me most is that if I'd bothered ever
I wouldn't feel so much like Casey who never got to bat
You cannot help but laugh at me singing better late than never
And more and more I realize I have no argument for that
I can almost work up the nerve for a declaration
I can almost hear me speak the words as I gain resolve
But then you move and you twirl and you smile at me
And my inhibition and my courage both dissolve
And so I'm standing there and I do not move
In spite of her momentous groove
And for a moment I can barely see
A glimpse of how good it could be
And then I must admit that I want to try
To look Felicia in the eye
And when the music starts to play
To smile at her and say
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
And so I'm standing there and I do not move
In spite of her momentous groove
And for a moment I can barely see
A glimpse of how good it could be
And then I must admit that I want to try
To look Felicia in the eye
And when the music starts to play
To smile at her and say
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
Dance with me I want to dance with you Felicia
Tripping over myself in every way that I know how
Perhaps in time I could surpass my coy facade of vast indifference
But I've already reached the maximum of what my law allows
You tell me to relax you tell me
Not to try so hard
But in the end it only makes me want to more
To figure out some way to play some major part
So I watch her move and I watch her work
Satisfy my voyeuristic quirk
Old habits they are hard to break
Just harder than it is to take
And when she looks away I tap my feet
I try my best to be discreet
Careful so she won't find out
How much I want to shout
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
I suppose the thing that gets me most is that if I'd bothered ever
I wouldn't feel so much like Casey who never got to bat
You cannot help but laugh at me singing better late than never
And more and more I realize I have no argument for that
I can almost work up the nerve for a declaration
I can almost hear me speak the words as I gain resolve
But then you move and you twirl and you smile at me
And my inhibition and my courage both dissolve
And so I'm standing there and I do not move
In spite of her momentous groove
And for a moment I can barely see
A glimpse of how good it could be
And then I must admit that I want to try
To look Felicia in the eye
And when the music starts to play
To smile at her and say
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
And so I'm standing there and I do not move
In spite of her momentous groove
And for a moment I can barely see
A glimpse of how good it could be
And then I must admit that I want to try
To look Felicia in the eye
And when the music starts to play
To smile at her and say
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
Dance with me I want to dance with you Felicia
Lyrics submitted by kaan
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