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."
Hanging out behind the club on the weekend
Acting stupid, getting drunk with my best friends
I couldn't wait for the summer and the warped tour
I remember it's the first time that I saw her there
She's getting kicked out of school 'cause she's failing
I'm kind of nervous 'cause I think all her friends hate me
She's the one, she'll always be there
She took my hand and that made it I swear
Because I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
She said, "What?" And I told her that I didn't know
She's so cool, I'm gonna sneak in through her window
Everything's better when she's around
I can't wait 'til her parents go out of town
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
When we said we were gonna move to Vegas
I remember the look her mother gave us
Seventeen without a purpose or direction
We don't owe anyone a fucking explanation
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
She said, "What?" And I told her that I didn't know
She's so cool, I'm gonna sneak in through her window
Everything's better when she's around
I can't wait 'til her parents go out of town
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
Black and white picture of her on my wall
I waited for her call
She always kept me waiting
And if I ever got another chance
I'd still ask her to dance
Because she kept me waiting
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
She said, "What?" And I told her that I didn't know
She's so cool, I'm gonna sneak in through her window
Everything's better when she's around
I can't wait 'til her parents go out of town
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
With the girl at the rock show
With the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
Acting stupid, getting drunk with my best friends
I couldn't wait for the summer and the warped tour
I remember it's the first time that I saw her there
She's getting kicked out of school 'cause she's failing
I'm kind of nervous 'cause I think all her friends hate me
She's the one, she'll always be there
She took my hand and that made it I swear
Because I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
She said, "What?" And I told her that I didn't know
She's so cool, I'm gonna sneak in through her window
Everything's better when she's around
I can't wait 'til her parents go out of town
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
When we said we were gonna move to Vegas
I remember the look her mother gave us
Seventeen without a purpose or direction
We don't owe anyone a fucking explanation
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
She said, "What?" And I told her that I didn't know
She's so cool, I'm gonna sneak in through her window
Everything's better when she's around
I can't wait 'til her parents go out of town
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
Black and white picture of her on my wall
I waited for her call
She always kept me waiting
And if I ever got another chance
I'd still ask her to dance
Because she kept me waiting
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
She said, "What?" And I told her that I didn't know
She's so cool, I'm gonna sneak in through her window
Everything's better when she's around
I can't wait 'til her parents go out of town
I fell in love with the girl at the rock show
With the girl at the rock show
With the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
(I'll never forget tonight) with the girl at the rock show
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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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
On September 24, 2009, I attended the Blink-182 concert at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion; moreover, bands such as Asher Roth, The All American Rejects, and FallOutBoy performed a show of a lifetime! Every band did an amazing job with their own unique styles from Asher all the way to FOB. My best friend and I traveled more than 600 miles to get there and lived an experience like no other. As soon as we got to the Pavilion we marched all the way to waiting line and waited until we were given the green light to enter; furthermore, we both found our assigned seats and waited for the party to begin but out of nowhere people started to come in and a group of people sat behind us as every band performed. I remember turning around and locking eyes with the most gorgeous looking girl in the Pavilion. Unfortunately when I looked back I noticed she was with three people; two of them being to young gentlemen and one lovely lady. I could not stop smiling throughout the whole entire show because of her beauty and elegance. Now, after most of the bands performances especially FOB's during the intervention someone tapped me on my shoulder and asked me why I was not singing out loud or moving around; in addition, as I looked back it was the girl that I was smiling about and I responded back by saying "I really do not care for the other bands as much as i care for Blink-182" and she smiled back at me and told me that I better be singing and moving when they came out. Ha I once again looked at my best friend with a smile on my face and said, "She's so hot!" and we both laughed as Blink-182 began to get on stage. Everyone and I mean everyone got up and screamed for them as the curtain fell down to the ground. It was about 5-6 songs in when I looked back at the girl to see her one more time and once I did that Blink played "Rock Show"! Everyone knows the line, "I couldn't wait for the summer at the Warped Tour, I remember that it's the first time that I saw her there" funny thing is that the first I saw her was at an official Blink-182 tour. After the amazing event and the amazing encore people started to leave and we walked up to each other and laughed at the fact that we could just jump a railing to exit quicker and as I saw her jump I followed as well. Her two gentlemen friends took a while to follow and yet all I could do was smile at her beauty and I never had the courage to ask for her name. "I fell in love with a girl at the rock show!" Ha I regret not getting her number or her name... All I have is the vivid memory of her.
I was the guy with DC baseball tee, ha its a long shot but if you ever come across this I hope you felt the same way that night. :]] -Ringo
@Great dats da gayest shit I ever heard