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."
Sailing through your disease and you
Your disease and you
Your body's like a basket
Shivering in static
Ride this phase of angry tears
All those years you were alive inside the closet
With nobody in it there but me
But now you are coming
Your life is off running
Tearing itself apart at the seams
And you are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
Now I'm off sailing
Sickness inhaling
Every drop of blood you could bleed
The world is all coming
They're coming in millions
Billions of people too sick to believe
And I really wanted just to be in your body
To be in your body
To be inside you
And I really wanted just to be in your body
To share in your sickness
To shield around you
But you are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
Wrap you up in master
Cover you in plaster
Spit in your mouth and then say, "I love you"
But is this supposed to save us?
Is this supposed to break us?
Into the toilet, with our faces removed
And I really wanted just to be in your body
I really want to be in your body
I really want to be inside you
And I really wanted just to be in your body
To share in your sickness
To shield around you
But you are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
Your disease and you
Your body's like a basket
Shivering in static
Ride this phase of angry tears
All those years you were alive inside the closet
With nobody in it there but me
But now you are coming
Your life is off running
Tearing itself apart at the seams
And you are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
Now I'm off sailing
Sickness inhaling
Every drop of blood you could bleed
The world is all coming
They're coming in millions
Billions of people too sick to believe
And I really wanted just to be in your body
To be in your body
To be inside you
And I really wanted just to be in your body
To share in your sickness
To shield around you
But you are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
Wrap you up in master
Cover you in plaster
Spit in your mouth and then say, "I love you"
But is this supposed to save us?
Is this supposed to break us?
Into the toilet, with our faces removed
And I really wanted just to be in your body
I really want to be in your body
I really want to be inside you
And I really wanted just to be in your body
To share in your sickness
To shield around you
But you are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
You are a liar
You are a liar
You are a liar
And you are a lie
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
this songs so amazing. and yes i've heard both versions.. who knows what he's trying to get across. personally i do think it's about sex.