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."
Shiny happy people laughing
Meet me in the crowd, people, people
Throw your love around, love me, love me
Take it into town, happy, happy
Put it in the ground where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Everyone around, love them, love them
Put it in your hands, take it, take it
There's no time to cry, happy, happy
Put it in your heart, where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Whoa, here we go
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Shiny happy people holding hands (people, happy people)
Shiny happy people holding hands (people, happy people)
Shiny happy people holding hands (people, happy people)
Meet me in the crowd, people, people
Throw your love around, love me, love me
Take it into town, happy, happy
Put it in the ground where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Everyone around, love them, love them
Put it in your hands, take it, take it
There's no time to cry, happy, happy
Put it in your heart, where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Whoa, here we go
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Shiny happy people holding hands (people, happy people)
Shiny happy people holding hands (people, happy people)
Shiny happy people holding hands (people, happy people)
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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,
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.
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.
What this song is really about is: I remember reading that the title came from a piece of Chinese propaganda that the Chinese government put out after Tiananmen square, that had a first line that translated to read "the shiny happy people holding hands", which always lead me to believe that the entire song was not only meant to be sarcastic, but it was meant to be almost bitterly so. Simply put, a song to mock the overly happy fits of lunacy that people put out to mask real life problems.
Unfortunately for REM, the song became what it was mocking.
It's about communism. Like how in the pictures of the citizens of China they look happy, they are being hidden by what's happening behind closed doors. Hence, Shiny Happy People.
It always makes me think of Hippies. I don't know why
Me, too. Just seems like the attitude Hippies had in general and the way they'd do that whole happy campfire thing.
How many times does R.E.M have to explain this ffs:
The title and chorus are based on a Chinese propaganda poster. The slogan "Shiny happy people holding hands" is used ironically - the song was released in 1991, 2 years after the Tiananmen Square uprising when the Chinese government clamped down on student demonstrators, killing hundreds of them.
@lucydubbs Well, the music video produced for this song doesn't really help either.
@lucydubbs Also, R.E.M. don't explain it that way. As far as they're concerned, they just wrote a meaningless pop song.
I heard this on an interview - R.E.M. was tired of everyone saying that their songs and videos were morbid, sad, or dark. they wrote this and ridiculously dance in bright colors on the video to be smart asses. It's a great song that I've always liked, but after I heard where it stemmed from - I like it even MORE!
i always thought this was about how alot of people believe they are happy because that's what they are told. they live a "good" life, and even if it isn't the one they want, they are happy with it because they know that someone else has it worse.
shiny people are fake people. they think they are happy, but have no idea what happiness is.
who cares if its drug related or not? its a really happy song, and it makes you happy. and as long as you're happy, who cares? this song rules. forever. and then some. anyways, that's what i think...
@xpankfrisst lol omfg it is so not about that. It’s a gigantic FU to Bullshit propaganda specifically in relation T-Square massacre. It’s 100% sarcasm. I remember watching “shiny happy monsters” when REM was on Sesame Street with my toddler and I just started dying laughing. It’s way deeper than the surface. It’s not intended to make you happy, it’s intended to point out seeing through the terrible things people want to believe. Listening to the progressions, are indicative of sadness covered by superficial false happiness.
I LOVE THE VIDEO!!!!! It's just so awesomely fucked up you gotta love it. The reason they had Stipe dance in videos was b/c he couldn't.
she is kate pierson...
...why is this not on in time? mozzer answered that
I agree with OrangeCrush. Why are people so oblivious to sarcasm/different perspectives?