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."
And yes I believe in what we had but words got in the way
And only yesterday, as I was leaving, Lord knows I've tried to say
But I've heard a million conversations going where they've been before
Seen the way that careful lingers undecided at the door
And all I know for sure, all I know for real
Is knowing doesn't mean so much
When placed against the feeling, the heat inside
When bodies meet, when fingers touch
All my words are secondhand and useless in the face of this
Rationale and rhyme and reason, pale beside a single kiss
And I've heard so many things, I fail to understand at all
I'd settle anytime for unknown footsteps in the hall outside
And all I know for sure, all I know for real
Is knowing doesn't mean so much
When placed against the feeling, the heat inside
When bodies meet, when fingers touch
Because the world is cruel and promises are broken
Don't try to tell me anything, don't try to tell me
You'll be true to me, you know the real truth is never spoken
And I know the world is cold but if you hold on tight to what you
Find you might not mind too much though
Even this must pass away
And memories may last for years but
Names are just for souvenirs
Some kind of angel, let me look into your eyes
Don't give me why's and wherefore's reason or surprise
I don't care for words that don't belong
And I don't care what you're called, tell me later if at all
I can wait a long, long time, before I hear another love song
Come here I think you're beautiful
My door is open wide
Some kind of angel come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful, beautiful
Some kind of angel come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful
Some kind of angel come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
My door is open wide
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful, beautiful
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
My door is open wide
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful, beautiful
Some kind of stranger come inside
And only yesterday, as I was leaving, Lord knows I've tried to say
But I've heard a million conversations going where they've been before
Seen the way that careful lingers undecided at the door
And all I know for sure, all I know for real
Is knowing doesn't mean so much
When placed against the feeling, the heat inside
When bodies meet, when fingers touch
All my words are secondhand and useless in the face of this
Rationale and rhyme and reason, pale beside a single kiss
And I've heard so many things, I fail to understand at all
I'd settle anytime for unknown footsteps in the hall outside
And all I know for sure, all I know for real
Is knowing doesn't mean so much
When placed against the feeling, the heat inside
When bodies meet, when fingers touch
Because the world is cruel and promises are broken
Don't try to tell me anything, don't try to tell me
You'll be true to me, you know the real truth is never spoken
And I know the world is cold but if you hold on tight to what you
Find you might not mind too much though
Even this must pass away
And memories may last for years but
Names are just for souvenirs
Some kind of angel, let me look into your eyes
Don't give me why's and wherefore's reason or surprise
I don't care for words that don't belong
And I don't care what you're called, tell me later if at all
I can wait a long, long time, before I hear another love song
Come here I think you're beautiful
My door is open wide
Some kind of angel come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful, beautiful
Some kind of angel come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful
Some kind of angel come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
My door is open wide
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful, beautiful
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
My door is open wide
Some kind of stranger come inside
Come here I think you're beautiful
I think you're beautiful, beautiful
Some kind of stranger come inside
Lyrics submitted by AbgruendeDerSeele
Some Kind of Stranger Lyrics as written by Gary Marx Andrew Eldritch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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well.. since 80% of all SOM lyrics can be related to amphetamine, i think this is one of the more clear cases.
As a heavy user, there is a strong love/hate relationship to the drug, and the metaphore's in much of his lyrics speaks for itself:
"Come here I think you're beautiful My door is open wide Some kind of stranger/angel come inside"
"come inside" could be reffering to injecting as he was probably into needle's at some time to: "Under the gun"
When high on speed, it's a recurring feeling of endless desire towards most anything.. often sexual, but that becomes more clear in other SOM songs.. like "More"
Ehm, have you ever taken speed? If there's one thing it doesn't promote, it's sexual desire. Both this and More are about abandoning the idea of monogamous love, or indeed, possibly love at all, in favour of a more... borad based approach to the satisfaction of the libido.