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."
I watch you bend beneath the waves
And it seems heavier these days
Each time I see you force a smile my heart just breaks
To see you bend beneath the waves
I don't believe this is what God ever intended
I think it's time to go
The sun is going down I say we follow it out of town
We've been here for far too long, but will they know we're gone
And in the morning when it rises
Maybe it will shine for us
You and me against the world, I don't mind
I've been feeling so low
The sleepwalkers or the girl, made up my mind
I've been feeling so low, so low
I want you to look me in the eye
Tell me if we stay here we won't die
They'll say we love the darkness, but I'll say we hate their half light
Can you to look me in the eye
I don't believe this is what God ever intended
So I wanted you to know
The sun is going down I say we follow it out of town
We've been here for far too long, but will they know we're gone
And in the morning when it rises
Maybe it will shine for us
You and me against the world, I don't mind
We've been feeling so low
The sleepwalkers for the girl, made up my mind
The sun is going down, lets follow it out of town
It will shine on us tomorrow when it comes back around
It's gonna be all right, it's gonna be all right
I don't believe this is what God ever intended
And I wanted you to know
The sun is going down I say we follow it out of town
We've been here for far too long, but will they know we're gone
And in the morning when it rises
Maybe it will shine for us
The sun is going down, it's gonna be all right
And it seems heavier these days
Each time I see you force a smile my heart just breaks
To see you bend beneath the waves
I don't believe this is what God ever intended
I think it's time to go
The sun is going down I say we follow it out of town
We've been here for far too long, but will they know we're gone
And in the morning when it rises
Maybe it will shine for us
You and me against the world, I don't mind
I've been feeling so low
The sleepwalkers or the girl, made up my mind
I've been feeling so low, so low
I want you to look me in the eye
Tell me if we stay here we won't die
They'll say we love the darkness, but I'll say we hate their half light
Can you to look me in the eye
I don't believe this is what God ever intended
So I wanted you to know
The sun is going down I say we follow it out of town
We've been here for far too long, but will they know we're gone
And in the morning when it rises
Maybe it will shine for us
You and me against the world, I don't mind
We've been feeling so low
The sleepwalkers for the girl, made up my mind
The sun is going down, lets follow it out of town
It will shine on us tomorrow when it comes back around
It's gonna be all right, it's gonna be all right
I don't believe this is what God ever intended
And I wanted you to know
The sun is going down I say we follow it out of town
We've been here for far too long, but will they know we're gone
And in the morning when it rises
Maybe it will shine for us
The sun is going down, it's gonna be all right
Lyrics submitted by mxpxunkette
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
I beleive this song is actually about leaving the Christian music industry.
I could see that interpretation as well.
I think the song is about leaving a bad situation. The author is talking to his girlfriend/wife about leaving ("I think it's time to go"). The people they're leaving ("sleepwalkers") expect them to be perfect and smiling all the time ("Each time I see you force a smile my heart just breaks"), and the situation isn't what he thinks it should be ("I don't believe this is what God ever intended") He has to choose between staying and losing her (maybe they don't approve of the relationship) or leaving with her ("[giving up] the sleepwalkers for the girl, made up my mind ") and he knows they won't understand ("They'll say we love the darkness, but I'll say we hate their half light"). He calls them sleepwalkers because they're just dead inside and he wants more out of life than they're selling. If I had to guess, I'd say the sleepwalkers are a church he was involved in at the time. He thinks that if he can just take her and leave then everything will work out ("The sun is going down, lets follow it out of town / It will shine on us tomorrow when it comes back around / It's gonna be all right")
This song helped me through a time when I was struggling with the decision to leave a certain form of Christianity (and a church)...
Salomon uses the lyric in his book: relevantbooks.com/Books/simplicity/default.htm
The song appears for me to about leaving a church that has disappointed the narrator and he needs to comfort a friend who is experiencing the same disappointment. For instane he hates how his friends forces a smile like sometimes we do with fellow parishioners even though we are broken inside. We do this constantly in church trying not to show our weaknesses so that people won't judge us. Instead of realizing that God does his best in us when we are at our weakest (see 2 Cor. 12), people assume we are sinners.
Also, they say they hate our darkness but we'll say we hate their half-light referencing Rev. in which Jesus talks about lukewarm Christians. They don't like how different they are. As Derrida noted, people are constantly trying to center us. And if we deviate from the norm, people judge us and assume the worst. But in all actuality they are merely follow the herd mentality like Nietzsche referenced in his work. Sleepwalkers referencing the people who come every sunday morning with only their bodies but no heart. They just sleepwalk through life and in their faith as well. They think by coming to church they are somehow analogous to Christ and his ministry. However, they don't understand that faith goes beyond going to church every weekend.
Basically their time is ending at this church and they know it. With all the crappy things church is saying and doing against homosexuals, immigrants, the poor, etc., this song challenges the church's distance from Christ and his ultimate intention for his Church. This song ultimately is telling disappointed Christians who are struggling in church to look for something better. Thus, when the sun begins to set, realize it and leave so you can ultimately find a better one in which God will shine his morning light upon our souls.
Great song. Has been great for my faith!