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."
Virgil Caine is my name and I drove on the Danville train
'Til so much cavalry came and tore up the tracks again
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
I took the train to Richmond that fell
It was a time I remember, oh, so well
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singin'
They went, "Na, na, na, na, na, na"
Back with my wife in Tennessee
And one day she said to me
"Virgil, quick! Come see!
There goes Robert E. Lee"
Now I don't mind, I'm chopping wood
And I don't care if the money's no good
Just take what you need and leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singin'
They went, "Na, na, na, na, na, na"
Like my father before me, I'm a working man
And like my brother before me, I took a rebel stand
Oh, he was just eighteen, proud and brave
But a yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the blood below my feet
You can't raise a Cane back up when he's in defeat
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singin'
They went, "Na, na, na, na, na, na"
'Til so much cavalry came and tore up the tracks again
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
I took the train to Richmond that fell
It was a time I remember, oh, so well
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singin'
They went, "Na, na, na, na, na, na"
Back with my wife in Tennessee
And one day she said to me
"Virgil, quick! Come see!
There goes Robert E. Lee"
Now I don't mind, I'm chopping wood
And I don't care if the money's no good
Just take what you need and leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singin'
They went, "Na, na, na, na, na, na"
Like my father before me, I'm a working man
And like my brother before me, I took a rebel stand
Oh, he was just eighteen, proud and brave
But a yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the blood below my feet
You can't raise a Cane back up when he's in defeat
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singin'
They went, "Na, na, na, na, na, na"
Lyrics submitted by leopanthera
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Lyrics as written by Robbie Robertson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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I'm astonished that none of these commentators (and apparently not even Joan Baez) has noted the twisted political implications of this song, particularly in the historical context when it was composed and sung. It is a nostalgic paean to "old Dixie," whose political and economic order was based on the enslavement and brutalization of millions of African Americans. It is not, as some might say, the celebration of a morally neutral "heritage." It is an elegy to the poor white advocates of the Confederacy sung at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
Instead of testifying to the evil of enslavement and the evil that so many poor boys killed and died in its defense, this song pretends that what's sad is that the old South was forced to change.
What's most disgusting, though, is that this 1960s nostalgia for the old South (including the sudden insertion of the Confederate flag design into state flags all over the South) is obviously a thinly-veiled metaphor and populist emblem of poor whites' wish to preserve their superiority to black people at a time when black Americans were rightly demanding human equality for people of all colors and classes. Shame on them and on the composers and singers of this song.
I am so disappointed by the lack of critical discourse around this popular and seductively beautiful song.
@JamesMatory <br /> <br /> Your comment is a little hysterical. And I’m not even sure who you are railing against. It appears you are having an argument against your own projections (“as some might say” . . . but nobody did say.). <br /> <br /> Further, you seem to be upset that the writers, singers, and commentators are not spending their time “testifying.” You’re going to have a miserable life and go to an early grave if you keep working your panties into a bunch, being “astonished,” “disgusted,” and “disappointed” over “missing” internet comments.<br /> <br /> You reveal your true mission when you cast your “shame” on the composers and singers of this song, and presumably on those who like to listen to it, because of your perceptions. To that I say: piss off. Stop trying to tell other people what they should not write, what they should be saying instead, and what songs they should be listening to.. And to counter your judgmental attempt at shaming Robbie Robertson, Joan Baez, The Band, and others, I say “thank you” to all these artists for bringing us this beautiful song.<br /> <br /> If you want to point out that you think this song is nostalgia for racism, fine. To me, in 2015, it is just Virgil Caine’s sad tale, set to beautiful music with clever and amazing imagery. I like it, and much to your dismay, I’m sure, I’ve listened to it many a time with nary a negative thought for anyone of any color, race, gender, or creed.<br /> <br /> <br /> Finally, if you really took time to analyze the song, Virgil comes to the conclusion that "You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat." I.e., the South (meaning the racist confederate South you are referring to) is never going to “rise again.” This is hardly an apologetic anthem; this is a realistic requiem.
@JamesMatory <br /> Have a read around about the 'Lost Cause'. <br /> The Wikipedia page is a good place to start.<br /> I think you'll recognise that time brings useful context.
@JamesMatory Spot on James.<br /> I play this on guitar because it's a great work, but it is inconceivable that all the other comments are splitting hairs about what means what, rather than, here we have the most shameful part of world history being some lament and martyrdom to these "so called" poor white folks,who deserved to have their racist asses kicked. <br /> Makes me want to vomit.<br />