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."
Don't you know that your my reason
For my love, my life, my being
So secure and so, so sure my
Heart would surely die without you
I tried to swallow my pride
But I felt my heart start to tremble inside
Wish I didn't know 'cause I can't let you go
Tell me why?
Why when I looked in your eyes, baby
I felt the trust start to die?
Why, oh, why, yeah
When I still love you
It's so hard to say goodbye
Yeah, how
How can you tell me it was nothing?
'Cause you took away everything I dreamed in
Just a night and I held you so tight (I held you tight)
When you know you were sleeping in my bed
I tried to swallow my pride
But I felt my heart start to tremble inside
Wish I didn't know 'cause I can't let you go
Tell me why?
Why when I looked in your eyes
I felt my heart start to cry? (Cry, cry)
Why, oh, why
When I saw you with the other girl
Why, oh, why?
Why when I looked in your eyes, baby
'Cause I felt our trust start to die?
Why, oh, why
When I still love you
It's so hard to say goodbye?
Hey, hey, hey, yeah
Why? Whoa
Baby, yeah
Should I quietly leave through the door? Yeah
Or maybe pretend the way things were once
Before when I met you
I'll never forget you, so
Why?
Why when I looked in your eyes, yeah
I felt the trust start to die?
Ooh, why, oh, why, baby, why?
When I still love you
It's so hard to say goodbye
Why, why
Did you cry?
(Bye bye, goodbye, goodbye)
Why did you lie, babe?
Why, why did you lie?
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Baby
(Ooh, yeah, yeah)
Why did you lie? (Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Why, oh, why
Did you, did you lie?
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Why, oh, why
Why, why did you lie?
Did you, did you lie?
Why, oh, why?
For my love, my life, my being
So secure and so, so sure my
Heart would surely die without you
I tried to swallow my pride
But I felt my heart start to tremble inside
Wish I didn't know 'cause I can't let you go
Tell me why?
Why when I looked in your eyes, baby
I felt the trust start to die?
Why, oh, why, yeah
When I still love you
It's so hard to say goodbye
Yeah, how
How can you tell me it was nothing?
'Cause you took away everything I dreamed in
Just a night and I held you so tight (I held you tight)
When you know you were sleeping in my bed
I tried to swallow my pride
But I felt my heart start to tremble inside
Wish I didn't know 'cause I can't let you go
Tell me why?
Why when I looked in your eyes
I felt my heart start to cry? (Cry, cry)
Why, oh, why
When I saw you with the other girl
Why, oh, why?
Why when I looked in your eyes, baby
'Cause I felt our trust start to die?
Why, oh, why
When I still love you
It's so hard to say goodbye?
Hey, hey, hey, yeah
Why? Whoa
Baby, yeah
Should I quietly leave through the door? Yeah
Or maybe pretend the way things were once
Before when I met you
I'll never forget you, so
Why?
Why when I looked in your eyes, yeah
I felt the trust start to die?
Ooh, why, oh, why, baby, why?
When I still love you
It's so hard to say goodbye
Why, why
Did you cry?
(Bye bye, goodbye, goodbye)
Why did you lie, babe?
Why, why did you lie?
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Baby
(Ooh, yeah, yeah)
Why did you lie? (Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Why, oh, why
Did you, did you lie?
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Why, oh, why
Why, why did you lie?
Did you, did you lie?
Why, oh, why?
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Ed Sheeran
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