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."
Roger
Who do you think you are?
Barging in on me and my guitar
Little girl - hey
The door is that way
You better go you know
The fire's out anyway
Take your powder - take your candle
Your sweet whisper
I just can't handle
Well take your hair in the moonlight
Your brown eyes - goodbye, goodnight
I should tell you I should tell you
I should tell you I should - no!
Another time - another place
Our temperature would climb
There'd be a long embrace
We'd do another dance
It'd be another play
Looking for romance?
Come back another day
Another day
Mimi
The heart may freeze or it can burn
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future
There is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today
Roger
Excuse me if I'm off track
But if you're so wise
Then tell me - why do you need smack?
Take your needle
Take your fancy prayer
And don't forget
Get the moonlight out of your hair
Long ago - you might've lit up my heart
But the fire's dead - ain't never ever gonna start
Another time - another place
The words would only rhyme
We'd be in outer space
It'd be another song
We'd sing another way
You wanna prove me wrong?
Come back another day
Another day
Mimi
There's only yes
Only tonight
We must let go
To know what's right
No other course
No other way
No day but today
Mimi & Others Roger
I can't control Control your temper
My destiny She doesn't see
I trust my soul Who says that there's a soul
My only goal is just
To be Just let me be
There's only now Who do you think you are?
There's only here
Give in to love Barging in on me and my
Or live in fear guitar
No other path Little girl, hey
No other way The door is that way
No day but today The fire's out anyway
All
No day but today Take your powder, take your candle
No day but today Take your brown eyes, your pretty smile
Your silhouette
No day but today Another time, another place
Another rhyme, a warm embrace
No day but today Another dance, another way
Another chance, another day
No day but today
Who do you think you are?
Barging in on me and my guitar
Little girl - hey
The door is that way
You better go you know
The fire's out anyway
Take your powder - take your candle
Your sweet whisper
I just can't handle
Well take your hair in the moonlight
Your brown eyes - goodbye, goodnight
I should tell you I should tell you
I should tell you I should - no!
Another time - another place
Our temperature would climb
There'd be a long embrace
We'd do another dance
It'd be another play
Looking for romance?
Come back another day
Another day
Mimi
The heart may freeze or it can burn
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future
There is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today
Roger
Excuse me if I'm off track
But if you're so wise
Then tell me - why do you need smack?
Take your needle
Take your fancy prayer
And don't forget
Get the moonlight out of your hair
Long ago - you might've lit up my heart
But the fire's dead - ain't never ever gonna start
Another time - another place
The words would only rhyme
We'd be in outer space
It'd be another song
We'd sing another way
You wanna prove me wrong?
Come back another day
Another day
Mimi
There's only yes
Only tonight
We must let go
To know what's right
No other course
No other way
No day but today
Mimi & Others Roger
I can't control Control your temper
My destiny She doesn't see
I trust my soul Who says that there's a soul
My only goal is just
To be Just let me be
There's only now Who do you think you are?
There's only here
Give in to love Barging in on me and my
Or live in fear guitar
No other path Little girl, hey
No other way The door is that way
No day but today The fire's out anyway
All
No day but today Take your powder, take your candle
No day but today Take your brown eyes, your pretty smile
Your silhouette
No day but today Another time, another place
Another rhyme, a warm embrace
No day but today Another dance, another way
Another chance, another day
No day but today
Lyrics submitted by babeee
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Basically, Mimi and Roger are in love. But Roger is afraid to love Mimi because of his last girlfriend, April. Roger and April had been junkies and because she died. (see tune-up #3: "Close on Roger: His girlfriend April left a note saying 'We've got AIDS' before slitting her wrists in the bathroom.") Roger is no longer a junkie, but Mimi is, and he is afraid to love her because he's afraid of what may happen, but Mimi reminds to "Give in to love or live in fear" and that there is no day but today. She loves him and hopes he will love her, and not reject her because she is a junkie.