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 some say
Why you follow somethings so long
So I asked him
And he convinced me before long
Now its over
And I've seen him, don't come back anymore
And he said...
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
Throw a stone into the water
The ripple is broke
Burn the baby
Just for holding the cradle too close
Take it all back
Search for justice, don't live there anymore
And he said
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
And why do you see me in this way?
The way that I did
I gave him the means to the ends
Yes I did
I bothered not to believe in this way
The way that I did
I made him just to see in this way
The way that I did
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
Why you follow somethings so long
So I asked him
And he convinced me before long
Now its over
And I've seen him, don't come back anymore
And he said...
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
Throw a stone into the water
The ripple is broke
Burn the baby
Just for holding the cradle too close
Take it all back
Search for justice, don't live there anymore
And he said
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
And why do you see me in this way?
The way that I did
I gave him the means to the ends
Yes I did
I bothered not to believe in this way
The way that I did
I made him just to see in this way
The way that I did
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
Lyrics submitted by lemonie_fresh
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Trouble Breathing
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
While the obvious connections with suicide or alcoholism could be drawn easily, more subtly this song could be about someone who views the world through a negative lens constantly and how as much as the writer tries to show the beauty in the world, this person refuses to see it. It's one or another between the rope and the bottle. There is no good option for this person. They can't see it. Skiba sings it in a kind of exasperated way like He's tired of hearing this negative view constantly and just allowing that person to continue feeling the way they feel knowing he can't do anything about it. You can hear it when he says maybe you're a vampire.
THIS SONG IS KUEL! it's about a boy who holded on to his father for a long time and then right before he dies he says why do you hold on this for so long, and once he lets go, he doesn't take anything for granted and asks why did he have to die. WHY?
yer the customer keeps wanting just a lil bit more just a lil bit more I don't ask much anymore
I think the song is from the POV of a drug dealer, and the first verse is the drug dealer who, for some reason, doesn't want his client to keep using. So he says 'Don't come back anymore.' The client begs him, saying 'I don't need, I don't ask much anymore.'
The second verse seems to deal with things fucking up- he throws a stone into the water, but the ripple it creates messes up all the other ripples. Perhaps the stone is the drugs and the ripples the effects? Justice doesn't live there anymore, because the client, who was one a good guy, is now in the gutter because of drugs. Then, once again, the user begs him for more drugs.
Then, in the third verse, the user ODs, and the dealer sort of shrugs, and goes 'I gave him the shit- what he does with it it his deal.' And when the user ODs, he sees it through the dealer's eyes(I made him just to see in this way)- he sees the real, life-ruining effects of drugs.
And in the second verse, it should be 'candle' instead of 'cradle'
A pusher is a form of a drug dealer but there are few lines in it that are drug related. It may still be about a drug dealer though. It could be from the viewpoint of a drug dealer in a relationship with a customer or vise versa.