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."
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If you are confused, check with the sun
Carry a compass to help you along
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So, stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Season is calling
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Reason is calling
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So stand (stand)
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand (stand)
Now face west
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Stand in the place where you are (now face north)
Stand in the place where you are (now face west)
Your feet are going to be on the ground (stand in the place where you are)
Your head is there to move you around, so stand
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If you are confused, check with the sun
Carry a compass to help you along
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So, stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Season is calling
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Reason is calling
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So stand (stand)
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand (stand)
Now face west
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Stand in the place where you are (now face north)
Stand in the place where you are (now face west)
Your feet are going to be on the ground (stand in the place where you are)
Your head is there to move you around, so stand
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Long time listener, first time caller here...
For those of you who think the song lacks meaning, I suggest you work on your imagination. Go outside of your house. Face north (or maybe you don´t really know which way north is- use a compass if you need some help). Look at the big picture... Where are you in relationship to the big picture? Stand in the place where you work (now face west- you know which way that is, right??). If youŕe confused, check with the sun (rises in the east and sets in the west, we all know that, right?). Think about the impact of our existence as humans. I wish global warming would go away. If wishes were trees, the trees would be falling... Your feet are going to be on the ground (nobody can miss that, kinda tough to deny gravity) your head is there to move you around (are you using your brain to interact with this environment in an intelligent/ respectable manner?-not sure everybody´s doing this). The people who feel it as a call to action are right. The albumś called Green. Look at your home planet and take a look at how you are helping/ hurting/ impacting the situation. Are you too busy? Too lazy? Have you been sitting on your a$$ for too long? Most of us have. Don´t think about what you´ll do one day... You can make a difference right now if you care. Stand in the place where you are!
Spot on. Go to the top of the class.
The song is about getting out and voting. I think I heard it was released on election day in 1988 and the purpose was to get people to think about who and what they were voting for. And to stand up and get to the polls. "Think about direction" means to think about who your elected leaders are.