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."
Pressure here and pressure there/ you tell another lie
People touch and people stare/ you tell the world goodbye
This is an ecstatic scene/ cant get enough of it
Legal system rnakes you scream/ you never try to fit
Violence just for violence's sake/ but do you really care
Violence was your first mistake/ and will you ever dare
People come and people go/ you gotta make it stick
No one ever really knows/ the system makes you sick
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
People on the run around/ ain't got a fucking clue
Never see me on the ground/I don't get through to you
Promises I never keep/ you know it's no surprise
Now I'm in it far too deep/ and you just hide your eyes
Everybody gives it up/ you dont know how to stop
You never get another shot/ and I'm the one on top
People learning how to cry/ it's just another fad
People learning how to die/ and that's what makes me mad
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
So now you lake another lesson/ but will you ever learn?
Now I've got another weapon/I leave you here to burn
Teenage is what teenage does/ you don't know what to do
Teenage aint what teenage was/ I'm coming after you
Try to tell me what to do/ But I don't hear at all
The system's falling down on you/you gotta take the fall
People get a little close/ that's when I run and hide
It's life that l depend on most/ It's just to save my pride
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
People touch and people stare/ you tell the world goodbye
This is an ecstatic scene/ cant get enough of it
Legal system rnakes you scream/ you never try to fit
Violence just for violence's sake/ but do you really care
Violence was your first mistake/ and will you ever dare
People come and people go/ you gotta make it stick
No one ever really knows/ the system makes you sick
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
People on the run around/ ain't got a fucking clue
Never see me on the ground/I don't get through to you
Promises I never keep/ you know it's no surprise
Now I'm in it far too deep/ and you just hide your eyes
Everybody gives it up/ you dont know how to stop
You never get another shot/ and I'm the one on top
People learning how to cry/ it's just another fad
People learning how to die/ and that's what makes me mad
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
So now you lake another lesson/ but will you ever learn?
Now I've got another weapon/I leave you here to burn
Teenage is what teenage does/ you don't know what to do
Teenage aint what teenage was/ I'm coming after you
Try to tell me what to do/ But I don't hear at all
The system's falling down on you/you gotta take the fall
People get a little close/ that's when I run and hide
It's life that l depend on most/ It's just to save my pride
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Lyrics submitted by Leashie
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loved this song ever since i heard it on a NY comp back in the mid-90's.
btw, lyrics are incomplete.
Pressure here and pressure there/ you tell another lie People touch and people stare/ you tell the world goodbye This is an ecstatic scene/ cant get enough of it Legal system makes you scream/ you never try to fit Violence just for violence's sake/ but do you really care Violence was your first mistake/ and will you ever dare People come and people go/ you gotta make it stick No one ever really knows/ the system makes you sick
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
People on the run around/ ain't got a fucking clue Never see me on the ground/I don't get through to you Promises I never keep/ you know it's no surprise Now I'm in it far too deep/ and you just hide your eyes Everybody gives it up/ you dont know how to stop You never get another shot/ and I'm the one on top People learning how to cry/ it's just another fad People learning how to die/ and that's what makes me mad
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
So now you take another lesson/ but will you ever learn? Now I've got another weapon/I leave you here to burn Teenage is what teenage does/ you don't know what to do Teenage ain't what teenage was/ I'm coming after you Try to tell me what to do/ But I don't hear at all The system's falling down on you/you gotta take the fall People get a little close/ that's when I run and hide It's life that l depend on most/ It's just to save my pride
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down Teenage Shutdown. One big let down
Pressure here and pressure there/ under the gun again People touch and people stare/ they tie you up again Someone has a better plan/ you don't know what to do Someone is the bigger man/ so they got rid of you
Teenage Shutdown. One big let down Teenage Shutdown. One big let down