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."
Where your love is, put your heart, guard these moments well,
Where your dreams are, put your hopes, you know they will not fail you,
When the sun rises in the morning, you will wake up and find her yawning,
When the wind blows strong and cold, she'll be with you until you grow old,
Where your love is, put your heart, oh what would you do if your dreams came true?
I would build a lovely house with satin green shutters, it would be lovely,
The most lovely house in the world
And I would sing a lovely song with you in my mind, and you in my eyes,
The most lovely song in the world
I would write it down on the wall, just for you, just for you,
And I would hold you in my arms for the rest of my days.
When you're sad and feeling low, you're on your own with nowhere to go,
Make believe that she is gone, play your guitar and write a song for her,
Write down the words about how you cried when you woke up weeping,
'cause you thought that she had died, and you heard her breathing,
Through your pain and you held her close and cried all over again,
Where your love is, put your heart, oh what would you do if your dreams came true?
And inside my lovely house with satin green shutters, there would be children,
The most lovely children in the world
And even when the skies are grey, we would be happy, for we have love,
The most lovely love in the world
I would write it down on the wind, just for you, just for you,
And I would hold you for the rest of my days.
Where your dreams are, put your hopes, you know they will not fail you,
When the sun rises in the morning, you will wake up and find her yawning,
When the wind blows strong and cold, she'll be with you until you grow old,
Where your love is, put your heart, oh what would you do if your dreams came true?
I would build a lovely house with satin green shutters, it would be lovely,
The most lovely house in the world
And I would sing a lovely song with you in my mind, and you in my eyes,
The most lovely song in the world
I would write it down on the wall, just for you, just for you,
And I would hold you in my arms for the rest of my days.
When you're sad and feeling low, you're on your own with nowhere to go,
Make believe that she is gone, play your guitar and write a song for her,
Write down the words about how you cried when you woke up weeping,
'cause you thought that she had died, and you heard her breathing,
Through your pain and you held her close and cried all over again,
Where your love is, put your heart, oh what would you do if your dreams came true?
And inside my lovely house with satin green shutters, there would be children,
The most lovely children in the world
And even when the skies are grey, we would be happy, for we have love,
The most lovely love in the world
I would write it down on the wind, just for you, just for you,
And I would hold you for the rest of my days.
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Mountain Song
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