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."
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
[Dr. Dre]
Everyday it's the same thang, L.A. ain't changed
Niggaz still playa hatin, but Dre ain't changed
I'm just a lot smarter now
cause these niggaz is bangin ten times harder now
Niggaz ringin they ass up in the wrong part of town
Better turn they car around
Rollin the window down (Em: Hey can we talk it out?)
(Hitt: NAH GET THE FUCK OUT!)
Johnny got a shotgun
and he ain't even strong enough to cock one
Fuck tryin to job hunt
Niggaz got AK's, niggaz is way crazier
than Dre was back in his N.W.A. days
Niggaz spray strays and shoot without lookin
Niggaz walk by and blast without leavin a footprint
I think the attitudes are twice as worst
It takes half the time to get your life reversed
Always tryin to play Rambo with they ammo
Make a nigga wanna stay in family mode
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!!
[Knoc-turn'al]
Late nights is full of led that whistles as it goes by
Murder arrives, anytime
Bullets take flight when the fo'-five ignites
Some hearts skip a beat, some get blew out, and every light
put you in the site of youngsters with automatics
Bustin on shit to lay everything down even tourists and non-affiliates
These days, gun play is official with green lights on every block
Know the sign tells you too it's not best to stop
On every corner, Cali niggaz are dumpin
You'll be shakin your soul loose from the box at the coroner's
Makin death not so foreign to ya
Niggaz got Rugers and M-14's with enough,
ammo to leave an armored truck swiss cheese
I've learned to stay away from house parties
I've seen too many go and end up absent without leavin
Ain't no, warm welcomings, my eyes have witnessed the bend in on
Nights that don't sleep, and fireworks until dawn
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
[Hittman]
Now tell me - what the fuck is this man?
Niggaz doin brothers in worse than the Klan
Can't even stand, in front of your buildin and chill
without yieldin, twelve-year-old children that kill
blood spillin, thugs be illin, unnecessary slugs
fillin the sky, usually drillin the one
that wasn't willin to die, yes sir in the Killing Field
I got my, life preserver
And I'll do my time for murder, these niggaz got the nerve to
question me - bout the colors that I got on?
Now see that red dot on your knot
Bout to get your whole crew shot on
A Soldier of Fortune, I'm the wrong nigga to plot on
Took him out on the spot before he even got on
my hitlist -- peep this
I cock back, you bow down
Bust round, bloody the ground, retaliation sounds like this
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
[Dr. Dre]
Everyday it's the same thang, L.A. ain't changed
Niggaz still playa hatin, but Dre ain't changed
I'm just a lot smarter now
cause these niggaz is bangin ten times harder now
Niggaz ringin they ass up in the wrong part of town
Better turn they car around
Rollin the window down (Em: Hey can we talk it out?)
(Hitt: NAH GET THE FUCK OUT!)
Johnny got a shotgun
and he ain't even strong enough to cock one
Fuck tryin to job hunt
Niggaz got AK's, niggaz is way crazier
than Dre was back in his N.W.A. days
Niggaz spray strays and shoot without lookin
Niggaz walk by and blast without leavin a footprint
I think the attitudes are twice as worst
It takes half the time to get your life reversed
Always tryin to play Rambo with they ammo
Make a nigga wanna stay in family mode
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!!
[Knoc-turn'al]
Late nights is full of led that whistles as it goes by
Murder arrives, anytime
Bullets take flight when the fo'-five ignites
Some hearts skip a beat, some get blew out, and every light
put you in the site of youngsters with automatics
Bustin on shit to lay everything down even tourists and non-affiliates
These days, gun play is official with green lights on every block
Know the sign tells you too it's not best to stop
On every corner, Cali niggaz are dumpin
You'll be shakin your soul loose from the box at the coroner's
Makin death not so foreign to ya
Niggaz got Rugers and M-14's with enough,
ammo to leave an armored truck swiss cheese
I've learned to stay away from house parties
I've seen too many go and end up absent without leavin
Ain't no, warm welcomings, my eyes have witnessed the bend in on
Nights that don't sleep, and fireworks until dawn
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
[Hittman]
Now tell me - what the fuck is this man?
Niggaz doin brothers in worse than the Klan
Can't even stand, in front of your buildin and chill
without yieldin, twelve-year-old children that kill
blood spillin, thugs be illin, unnecessary slugs
fillin the sky, usually drillin the one
that wasn't willin to die, yes sir in the Killing Field
I got my, life preserver
And I'll do my time for murder, these niggaz got the nerve to
question me - bout the colors that I got on?
Now see that red dot on your knot
Bout to get your whole crew shot on
A Soldier of Fortune, I'm the wrong nigga to plot on
Took him out on the spot before he even got on
my hitlist -- peep this
I cock back, you bow down
Bust round, bloody the ground, retaliation sounds like this
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Everywhere I go, all I ever seem to hear is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
No matter where I go, all I ever seem to see is
BANG BANG!! BANG BANG!!
Lyrics submitted by oofus
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings

Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction

Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/

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.

Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.

Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.
I can't believe people havn't commented on this song it's got a awesome beat. and uhhh yeaah.
i agree!