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."
Bearing the weight of a trick we had traded
Defeated in light retreating to dark
We hid underneath an invincible sheet
And cheated our love defeated our love
Restless and sleepy you went to the water
Watching the sea as it swallowed the sun
Making believe there could be better offers
Creeping along to carry you out of this miserable place
You've buried your heart in the ground
Can't twist yourself free from your hopes and your dreams
You must be who you are if you mean who you are
But killingly clad you went killing me sadly
Unleashed in the light you cheated and won
Your broken heart beating you ran to the darker
Side of the station to watch the late trains
Taking their leave they could take you to slaughter
Tearing your flesh from a dress I'd sewn that you've sadly outgrown
All worn out with no place to go
'Til darkness fell delivering a rush in your veins
Pounding out a sound so sad as you walked away
Drowning out the echo of a frozen dream
You stuffed inside your shadow
You hid behind the color that was crushing your eye
A tear can throw a spark in the dark where there ain't no light
Shining down to guide you through the darkest days
Tearing away at the skin that betrayed you
Defeated in light retreating to dark
You hid in the streets an invisible thief
Unleashed and alive to cheat who you are
Your broken heart beating you ran to the doctor
Making believe you had swallowed the sun
Taking your leave there could be better offers
Creeping along to carry you out of this miserable place
You've buried your heart in the ground
Defeated in light retreating to dark
We hid underneath an invincible sheet
And cheated our love defeated our love
Restless and sleepy you went to the water
Watching the sea as it swallowed the sun
Making believe there could be better offers
Creeping along to carry you out of this miserable place
You've buried your heart in the ground
Can't twist yourself free from your hopes and your dreams
You must be who you are if you mean who you are
But killingly clad you went killing me sadly
Unleashed in the light you cheated and won
Your broken heart beating you ran to the darker
Side of the station to watch the late trains
Taking their leave they could take you to slaughter
Tearing your flesh from a dress I'd sewn that you've sadly outgrown
All worn out with no place to go
'Til darkness fell delivering a rush in your veins
Pounding out a sound so sad as you walked away
Drowning out the echo of a frozen dream
You stuffed inside your shadow
You hid behind the color that was crushing your eye
A tear can throw a spark in the dark where there ain't no light
Shining down to guide you through the darkest days
Tearing away at the skin that betrayed you
Defeated in light retreating to dark
You hid in the streets an invisible thief
Unleashed and alive to cheat who you are
Your broken heart beating you ran to the doctor
Making believe you had swallowed the sun
Taking your leave there could be better offers
Creeping along to carry you out of this miserable place
You've buried your heart in the ground
Lyrics submitted by lurkinginsagas
Doctors of Deliverance Lyrics as written by Eric Emil Bachmann
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
okay some mistakes/additions: "you wore out with no place to go" , not "all worn out" darkest days: "then left your heart in shambles" that line is left out above.
then the whole last verse is not up there, i think it's something like:
to let your cold heart ramble counting on the doctor that was keeping you down now you don't have to spend another minute in this god damned town burning all the bridges that could set you free to let your cold heart ramble darkness fell delivering the reason you saved(?) i heard you found a reason, any reason's good to walk away counting on the rumble of a distant train you left your heart in shambles
and now, more importantly, WHY ARE THERE NO COMMENTS ON CROOKED FINGERS' BEST SONG?? i am so in love with this my god. and it sounds profound, although i can't quite tell what's going on. maybe someone's leaving bc all the train images. or more like, wants to leave but can't? i don't care. i love it