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 just need to take some time off (I know)
What do you think?
Do you think we're gonna have some time coming up soon
'Cause, you know, we're tryna plan a little trip here
(I know, we need to go away) I heard about that
Don't get offended (am I invited?)
Yes, of course, you're invited
Yeah, we need some time out
Time out, time out of the city (you need some sun too)
I know I need some sun, y'all, leave me alone
Yes, we'll take a couple of days off to really heal
(You are too pale)
Nah, but we do, we need to get away
(Four or five days) sounds good to me
(We will) yeah, we need to just chill
(A week is way too long) I know, but just picture this
Just sit under the sun (just like)
Just getting some sun
Friday morning and all my work is done
I've packed my bags, I'm on the run
I got a feeling that I'm gonna have some
Fun in the sun with my friends
And he's got me going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Sorry I can't
Sorry I can't go now
Friday noon and my boss is on the phone
He's telling me that I can't leave home
An extra hand at work is what he
Called for, he said, "We need you here"
Tell my friends I'm going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me in
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me
It makes no difference if you love work or not
If you dream your weekend, hand on the doorknob
Out with your friends and fun in the sun now
That's when the phone rings
Friday evening and I'm all alone at home
I bet my friends are having fun
I'll plan my weekend, dammit, leave the machine on
Next time he calls he'll hear my voice saying loud and clear
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
With Ann and Rusty (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tina and Yuri (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ken and Nancy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Lynette and Tony, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Lisa and Jimmy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Gwen and Julie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Kimble and Josie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tish and Michael, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Karyn and Terry (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Betta and Katie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Don and Kevin (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ricardo and Puffy, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Come on you guys (whoops now)
(Okay, here we go, where we going?)
(Going to) Anguilla, here we come
Here we come now (I'm ready, we're with you)
To the restaurants (I'm starving, let's go)
For some lobster (oh)
And some sleeping (some sleeping?)
And some you know what else (oh, now we good)
I don't have to say it (no, what else? What we talking about?)
(What else?) Come on, tell
You know (no, we don't know like what else?)
(Well?) tell
Tiddlywinks (Tiddlywinks?)
(I thought you were talking about "you know what") yeah
What? (You know what)
I like that part too
(We there, we there, baby) okay, okay
(My girl)
Oops
What do you think?
Do you think we're gonna have some time coming up soon
'Cause, you know, we're tryna plan a little trip here
(I know, we need to go away) I heard about that
Don't get offended (am I invited?)
Yes, of course, you're invited
Yeah, we need some time out
Time out, time out of the city (you need some sun too)
I know I need some sun, y'all, leave me alone
Yes, we'll take a couple of days off to really heal
(You are too pale)
Nah, but we do, we need to get away
(Four or five days) sounds good to me
(We will) yeah, we need to just chill
(A week is way too long) I know, but just picture this
Just sit under the sun (just like)
Just getting some sun
Friday morning and all my work is done
I've packed my bags, I'm on the run
I got a feeling that I'm gonna have some
Fun in the sun with my friends
And he's got me going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Sorry I can't
Sorry I can't go now
Friday noon and my boss is on the phone
He's telling me that I can't leave home
An extra hand at work is what he
Called for, he said, "We need you here"
Tell my friends I'm going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me in
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me
It makes no difference if you love work or not
If you dream your weekend, hand on the doorknob
Out with your friends and fun in the sun now
That's when the phone rings
Friday evening and I'm all alone at home
I bet my friends are having fun
I'll plan my weekend, dammit, leave the machine on
Next time he calls he'll hear my voice saying loud and clear
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
With Ann and Rusty (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tina and Yuri (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ken and Nancy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Lynette and Tony, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Lisa and Jimmy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Gwen and Julie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Kimble and Josie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tish and Michael, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Karyn and Terry (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Betta and Katie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Don and Kevin (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ricardo and Puffy, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Come on you guys (whoops now)
(Okay, here we go, where we going?)
(Going to) Anguilla, here we come
Here we come now (I'm ready, we're with you)
To the restaurants (I'm starving, let's go)
For some lobster (oh)
And some sleeping (some sleeping?)
And some you know what else (oh, now we good)
I don't have to say it (no, what else? What we talking about?)
(What else?) Come on, tell
You know (no, we don't know like what else?)
(Well?) tell
Tiddlywinks (Tiddlywinks?)
(I thought you were talking about "you know what") yeah
What? (You know what)
I like that part too
(We there, we there, baby) okay, okay
(My girl)
Oops
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Plastic Bag
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“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.
I think this is a song to all her friends and everyone apologizing for having to put work before them so much.... and just letting them know that she really wants to be there with them just as much as they want her there