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."
Is everybody happy now?
Is everybody clear?
We could drive out to the dunes tonight,
'cause summer's almost here.
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
When the roads are clear,
We'll head on out of here,
If you're coming back,
I'll see you in the morning
I'm just staring at
The ceiling staring back at me,
Just waiting for the daylight
To come crawling in on me
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
And let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
And let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
Fix your hair just right
Put your jeans on tight,
Wear a dress, so I can get it off real easy.
'Cause I've been thinking I'd
Like to see your eyes
Open up real wide the minute that you see me.
If you don't come through,
I wouldn't wait for you.
I understand that everyone goes disappearing,
Into the greatest gray
That covers over everyday,
And hovers in the distance
And the distance and the distance
I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
Baby I'm not alone
Only want to get high.
Is everybody clear?
We could drive out to the dunes tonight,
'cause summer's almost here.
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
When the roads are clear,
We'll head on out of here,
If you're coming back,
I'll see you in the morning
I'm just staring at
The ceiling staring back at me,
Just waiting for the daylight
To come crawling in on me
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
And let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
And let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
Fix your hair just right
Put your jeans on tight,
Wear a dress, so I can get it off real easy.
'Cause I've been thinking I'd
Like to see your eyes
Open up real wide the minute that you see me.
If you don't come through,
I wouldn't wait for you.
I understand that everyone goes disappearing,
Into the greatest gray
That covers over everyday,
And hovers in the distance
And the distance and the distance
I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
Baby I'm not alone
Only want to get high.
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At the Counting Crows concert tonight, Adam introduced this song by saying that it's about trying to get over something, but not being able to. And then realizing that after a while you're so messed up over it and it doesn't even matter anymore and now you're left all messed up and you just have to move on.