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."
Sleeping through the evening
Singing dreams inside my head
I'm heading out
I've got some ends who say they care
And they just might
Run away with you
If things don't go as planned
Plannin' big could be a gamble
I've already rolled the dice
I spit and stutter stuff and clutter
Worries in my worried corner
Maladjusted
Just untrusted
Rusted
Sometimes brilliant trusted thoughts
Think ill stay for a while
I'm intrigued and I'm
Red as a newborn white as a corpse
I promise not to try not to fuck with your mind
I promise not to mind if you go your way and I go mine
I promise not to lie if I'm looking you straight in the eye
I promise not to lie and not to let you down
I am elated
I am all smiled and dated
In my man bites dog small town
With a Spanish name
I am my own bone
I am two toned
Red as a newborn white as a corpse
I promise not to try not to fuck with your mind
I promise not to mind if you go your way and I go mine
I promise not to lie if I'm looking you straight in the eye
I promise not to try not to let you down
Girl let me down
Slow
Why do you gotta keep the fan on high when its cold outside?
Just want to let you know I'm still a fan get it
Everybody wants charm in a smile and a promise
Promise not to try
I promise not to try not to fuck with your mind
I promise not to mind if you go your way and I go mine
I promise not to lie if I'm looking you straight in the eye
I promise not to try not to not to leave
(Promise not to try)
Not to leave
(Promise not to try)
Not to not to leave-yay
(Promise not to try)
I won't leave
I won't leave
Singing dreams inside my head
I'm heading out
I've got some ends who say they care
And they just might
Run away with you
If things don't go as planned
Plannin' big could be a gamble
I've already rolled the dice
I spit and stutter stuff and clutter
Worries in my worried corner
Maladjusted
Just untrusted
Rusted
Sometimes brilliant trusted thoughts
Think ill stay for a while
I'm intrigued and I'm
Red as a newborn white as a corpse
I promise not to try not to fuck with your mind
I promise not to mind if you go your way and I go mine
I promise not to lie if I'm looking you straight in the eye
I promise not to lie and not to let you down
I am elated
I am all smiled and dated
In my man bites dog small town
With a Spanish name
I am my own bone
I am two toned
Red as a newborn white as a corpse
I promise not to try not to fuck with your mind
I promise not to mind if you go your way and I go mine
I promise not to lie if I'm looking you straight in the eye
I promise not to try not to let you down
Girl let me down
Slow
Why do you gotta keep the fan on high when its cold outside?
Just want to let you know I'm still a fan get it
Everybody wants charm in a smile and a promise
Promise not to try
I promise not to try not to fuck with your mind
I promise not to mind if you go your way and I go mine
I promise not to lie if I'm looking you straight in the eye
I promise not to try not to not to leave
(Promise not to try)
Not to leave
(Promise not to try)
Not to not to leave-yay
(Promise not to try)
I won't leave
I won't leave
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