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."
Yo, on the M-I-C right about now, I go by the name of Big Daddy Kane. I got my
man Scoob Lover on the side of me, DJ Mister Cee on the wheels of steel, Dre on
the film and Marley on the boards. We gonna do a little something like this:
[Big Daddy:]
Some like it hard and some like it soft,
yo, bust the groove as I set it off.
[Scoob:]
But wait a minute...
...yo Scoob, what's up?
Pardon me a moment as I interrupt.
For what?
For this:
[both singing]
You like the stylish clothes we wear,
and you like our flat-top style of hair.
It's just those bugged out things we do
that make the girles wanna stare.
Like when we're chillin' with the crew.
Or drinkin' that Old English brew.
(both) Straight from the bottle not the cup,
And it gets us more than just fucked uuuuup...
And I like it yall..
..like it yall...
like it yall...
...like it yall.
Scoob Lover, won't you hype it yall?
Well, I'm the S-C double-O B-L-O-V-E-R- uh.
Ladies come to me, I'll be your midnight horror.
Need a flat top? Come to Scoob, I'm the barber.
Of Da Ville.
And that's right.
Try to step to us, watch what you get,
Cuz me and Big Daddy's not havin' it.
Well, it's the Big Daddy, so all hail.
Save your wack rhymes, hold your female.
Pass the Old Gold, trash the ale,
cash your food stamps, get the WIC out the mail.
Love to eat shrimps, but I never eat snail.
Eat a whole fish except for the tail.
Keep food in the fridge so it don't get stale,
and when there's nothing to eat, I bite my nails.
So Scoob Lover, you know your rhymes are kickin',
get on the mic, cuz you know you eat chicken.
Now-now-now, I'm-a place a order for a Scooby snack,
Not at the Chinese restaurant becuse I don't eat cats.
Now who in the world can ever eat these?
When I'm at home, I chow down with ease,
and say "More beef sausage, mom, please?"
That's right, Mommy Dukes, she feeds me swell.
Coffee on the table, orange juice as well.
Some of the things I say are outspoken,
guaranteed to have you chokin'.
Bitin' MCs are the one I'm yokin'.
Kane, I'm outta here, I guess I'll use my token.
I'll walk through the gate if the turnstile's broken.
Big Daddy, if you're down with me,
get on the mic on the count of three;
One, two, three...
Now I'm a black brother that's out to succeed,
so step aside as I take the lead.
Sexy young ladies of a light-skinned breed.
*You got-you got-you got what I need!*
Outstanding, kind, cool and loyal.
Drove all the way to Maco just to change my oil.
Cuz I'm the only child, you might think I'm spoiled.
Touch the young ladies make their blood pressure boil.
I got the ...hmm...hiccups, excuse me, sorry.
Score a 100 Gs every time I play Atari.
Put a hole in the Old Gold, blast the Bacardi.
On the dance floor, hype moves I be freakin'.
Makin' new steps up every single weekend.
Not Abbot and Costello or Laurel and Hardy,
I'm only here to PAR-TY!
Yo, check it out, check it out. Turn the music down, turn the music down.
turn the music down...here we go (here we go)...
We gonna end it like this in the place yall.
It's like this yall, and you don't stop.
Now, the name Kane is superior to many people;
it means King Asiatic Nobody's Equal.
I hate to brag, but damn I'm good!
And if mics were a gun, I'd be Clint Eastwood.
And if rap was a game, I'd be MVP:
Most Valuable Poet on the M-I-C.
And if rap was a school, I'd be the principal.
Aw fuck it, the Kane is invincible.
To be specific, I may die one day
but my rhymes will remain like a heiroglyphic.
It's a certain special skill, that takes much practice.
I got it good; apparently you lack this.
So in turn, sit back and learn,
listen close, this is for your own concern.
Let me show ya, exactly how it's properly done:
Lights, Camera, Action! [laughter]
man Scoob Lover on the side of me, DJ Mister Cee on the wheels of steel, Dre on
the film and Marley on the boards. We gonna do a little something like this:
[Big Daddy:]
Some like it hard and some like it soft,
yo, bust the groove as I set it off.
[Scoob:]
But wait a minute...
...yo Scoob, what's up?
Pardon me a moment as I interrupt.
For what?
For this:
[both singing]
You like the stylish clothes we wear,
and you like our flat-top style of hair.
It's just those bugged out things we do
that make the girles wanna stare.
Like when we're chillin' with the crew.
Or drinkin' that Old English brew.
(both) Straight from the bottle not the cup,
And it gets us more than just fucked uuuuup...
And I like it yall..
..like it yall...
like it yall...
...like it yall.
Scoob Lover, won't you hype it yall?
Well, I'm the S-C double-O B-L-O-V-E-R- uh.
Ladies come to me, I'll be your midnight horror.
Need a flat top? Come to Scoob, I'm the barber.
Of Da Ville.
And that's right.
Try to step to us, watch what you get,
Cuz me and Big Daddy's not havin' it.
Well, it's the Big Daddy, so all hail.
Save your wack rhymes, hold your female.
Pass the Old Gold, trash the ale,
cash your food stamps, get the WIC out the mail.
Love to eat shrimps, but I never eat snail.
Eat a whole fish except for the tail.
Keep food in the fridge so it don't get stale,
and when there's nothing to eat, I bite my nails.
So Scoob Lover, you know your rhymes are kickin',
get on the mic, cuz you know you eat chicken.
Now-now-now, I'm-a place a order for a Scooby snack,
Not at the Chinese restaurant becuse I don't eat cats.
Now who in the world can ever eat these?
When I'm at home, I chow down with ease,
and say "More beef sausage, mom, please?"
That's right, Mommy Dukes, she feeds me swell.
Coffee on the table, orange juice as well.
Some of the things I say are outspoken,
guaranteed to have you chokin'.
Bitin' MCs are the one I'm yokin'.
Kane, I'm outta here, I guess I'll use my token.
I'll walk through the gate if the turnstile's broken.
Big Daddy, if you're down with me,
get on the mic on the count of three;
One, two, three...
Now I'm a black brother that's out to succeed,
so step aside as I take the lead.
Sexy young ladies of a light-skinned breed.
*You got-you got-you got what I need!*
Outstanding, kind, cool and loyal.
Drove all the way to Maco just to change my oil.
Cuz I'm the only child, you might think I'm spoiled.
Touch the young ladies make their blood pressure boil.
I got the ...hmm...hiccups, excuse me, sorry.
Score a 100 Gs every time I play Atari.
Put a hole in the Old Gold, blast the Bacardi.
On the dance floor, hype moves I be freakin'.
Makin' new steps up every single weekend.
Not Abbot and Costello or Laurel and Hardy,
I'm only here to PAR-TY!
Yo, check it out, check it out. Turn the music down, turn the music down.
turn the music down...here we go (here we go)...
We gonna end it like this in the place yall.
It's like this yall, and you don't stop.
Now, the name Kane is superior to many people;
it means King Asiatic Nobody's Equal.
I hate to brag, but damn I'm good!
And if mics were a gun, I'd be Clint Eastwood.
And if rap was a game, I'd be MVP:
Most Valuable Poet on the M-I-C.
And if rap was a school, I'd be the principal.
Aw fuck it, the Kane is invincible.
To be specific, I may die one day
but my rhymes will remain like a heiroglyphic.
It's a certain special skill, that takes much practice.
I got it good; apparently you lack this.
So in turn, sit back and learn,
listen close, this is for your own concern.
Let me show ya, exactly how it's properly done:
Lights, Camera, Action! [laughter]
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
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American Town
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