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 tried to cry out from the inside, but I guess my soul did not pour itself out enough
Blood on the walls, flaming black, blood on the walls,
I saw you staring through the cracks
No one was to know what was happening in me I felt no love,
I felt no reason to carry on with my life
Everything was wrong, nothing was right, at least that is what I thought
Kids finding laughter at my expense
They were killing me on the inside they couldn't give up their pride
My heart was bleeding from so much grieving
On the outside I looked fine, you couldn't tell but on the inside was eternal hell
I got caught up in the moment of depression,
and before I knew it my body was lying on the ground
With a gun in my hand my hourglass was out of sand
Thanks to all the people who drove me to death
Without you I could of never ended my breath
Through your anger and hate, I was able to choose my fate
There was a way out, but I chose the easy route
Blast of a gun, breath runs out, final thoughts put to extinction
No more pain, no more love, for you have chosen suicide as the way out... help them
Ice cold fingers, body lays on the floor,
pool of blood you see, you scream out in terror
Her body is now a part of mutilation, her soul the victim of strangulation
I will not accept this evil anymore
I never thought of who I hurt or I never tried to look for the good
I'm sorry for whoever I hurt, it's not easy to look back on my life,
and know I did not know Christ
For now I live in a real hell
I wish I had another chance... then I would live my life with love
Blood on the walls, flaming black, blood on the walls,
I saw you staring through the cracks
No one was to know what was happening in me I felt no love,
I felt no reason to carry on with my life
Everything was wrong, nothing was right, at least that is what I thought
Kids finding laughter at my expense
They were killing me on the inside they couldn't give up their pride
My heart was bleeding from so much grieving
On the outside I looked fine, you couldn't tell but on the inside was eternal hell
I got caught up in the moment of depression,
and before I knew it my body was lying on the ground
With a gun in my hand my hourglass was out of sand
Thanks to all the people who drove me to death
Without you I could of never ended my breath
Through your anger and hate, I was able to choose my fate
There was a way out, but I chose the easy route
Blast of a gun, breath runs out, final thoughts put to extinction
No more pain, no more love, for you have chosen suicide as the way out... help them
Ice cold fingers, body lays on the floor,
pool of blood you see, you scream out in terror
Her body is now a part of mutilation, her soul the victim of strangulation
I will not accept this evil anymore
I never thought of who I hurt or I never tried to look for the good
I'm sorry for whoever I hurt, it's not easy to look back on my life,
and know I did not know Christ
For now I live in a real hell
I wish I had another chance... then I would live my life with love
Lyrics submitted by fallacies
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
I never heard this song but im picking up "act of depression" and "cries of the past" online i hope this song helps me through my shit hole of a life right now i think it will music and cigerettes help me alot lyrics look good.
By the way people who think the new "underoath" are the best shut the fuck up spence sucks at everything he does and hes like what 4,11 he sucks dallas made underoath everything it is today so in my opinain fuck the "new better underoath". Cause my band covered "alone in december" and "when the sun sleeps" and people went fucking nuts
Yeah buddy. they never got really big until A boy brushed red, Reinventing your exit, and its dangerous business came out.. WITH SPENCER.<br /> So thats cool that this song helps you out with your life but don't diss the newer underoath just cause you prefer the old.... its done now.<br /> Go check out Dallas' new band Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster.<br /> They're pretty sweet tits.