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."
Get out of the way fat man you got something to do
Go fill up your hands till they're shining back up at you
Well you gotta get out while there's gold in the air
It's falling like water, always coming down from those hills, no, no, no
Go West young man
Earn a dollar a day that's what your family said
And you're rollin' the days right on into the night
At the head of the line always goin' way, way, way, way, way out of sight
Go West young man, like your family said
All along the wagons, all along the dusty trail
Seventeen years not over a day like children in the wild
Your mama's milk still wet on your face
And no one wants to pray for your safe journey home
Out beyond the desert, across the mountains by the fall
Servants who leave their masters house all are walking all the way
The golden fields that beckoned you, you
They're darkened by the years, years
Go West young man, like your family said
Go West young man
Ah well if you knew then, just what you know today
Yes you'd be back where you started a happier man
And leave all the glory to all of those who have remained
So go West young man
Go West young man, like your family said, oh no
Go West young man
Go West young man, like your family said, oh no
Go fill up your hands till they're shining back up at you
Well you gotta get out while there's gold in the air
It's falling like water, always coming down from those hills, no, no, no
Go West young man
Earn a dollar a day that's what your family said
And you're rollin' the days right on into the night
At the head of the line always goin' way, way, way, way, way out of sight
Go West young man, like your family said
All along the wagons, all along the dusty trail
Seventeen years not over a day like children in the wild
Your mama's milk still wet on your face
And no one wants to pray for your safe journey home
Out beyond the desert, across the mountains by the fall
Servants who leave their masters house all are walking all the way
The golden fields that beckoned you, you
They're darkened by the years, years
Go West young man, like your family said
Go West young man
Ah well if you knew then, just what you know today
Yes you'd be back where you started a happier man
And leave all the glory to all of those who have remained
So go West young man
Go West young man, like your family said, oh no
Go West young man
Go West young man, like your family said, oh no
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by janeaparis1
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Mountain Song
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