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 played the part of a broken heart upon a shelf
I played that part so lonely and so well
Thought that love belonged to someone else, not me and you
Yeah, I know that you've been shattered, you've been bruised
And we both know what it feels like when you lose
But I'd bet my life on the roll of the dice for you
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonite's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If that's what it takes ...
I bet you counted all the tears up that you've cried
I bet you swore you'd never let love back inside
Cos it hurt you way too bad to say good-bye
Now, there'll be times when I might put us to the test
And it's hard for broken hearts to just forget
But I'm driving blind, I'll lay it all on the line for you
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonite's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If that's what it takes, oh yeah
So, when you feel like jumping
Just when your heart starts pumping
When you're standing out on that ledge, staring over the edge
I'll be there to talk you down, I'll be there before you hit the ground
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonite's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If it takes the time to get it right
I know we'll pull through
If it took all my life, I'd prove it to you
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do If that's what it takes ... I'd do anything baby
Oh yeah
I'd do anything you want me to, baby if it's me and you
It's alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Oh yeah, oh baby
I played that part so lonely and so well
Thought that love belonged to someone else, not me and you
Yeah, I know that you've been shattered, you've been bruised
And we both know what it feels like when you lose
But I'd bet my life on the roll of the dice for you
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonite's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If that's what it takes ...
I bet you counted all the tears up that you've cried
I bet you swore you'd never let love back inside
Cos it hurt you way too bad to say good-bye
Now, there'll be times when I might put us to the test
And it's hard for broken hearts to just forget
But I'm driving blind, I'll lay it all on the line for you
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonite's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If that's what it takes, oh yeah
So, when you feel like jumping
Just when your heart starts pumping
When you're standing out on that ledge, staring over the edge
I'll be there to talk you down, I'll be there before you hit the ground
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
Tonite's the night, I'm gonna prove it to you
Do I have to break down, baby just to break through
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do
If it takes the time to get it right
I know we'll pull through
If it took all my life, I'd prove it to you
If that's what it takes, that's what I'd do If that's what it takes ... I'd do anything baby
Oh yeah
I'd do anything you want me to, baby if it's me and you
It's alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Oh yeah, oh baby
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
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A love song about doing whatever it takes for the other.
A good song but it doesn't really fit in on the "These Days" album where most of the songs are midtempo or ballads but nonetheless a good song...
I love this song, The bit that worries me about it though is the "So when you feel like jumping" verse. Although the rest of the song is dead clear on the meaning, that one verse always chills me when I hear it. To me it sounds like he's saying that he'll be with them until the end, even after they jump. This just doesn't seem to fit with the uplifting theme of the rest of the song though