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."
Walking further from your dark, complex cave
Of lonely manipulation
On am empty trail, as the moonlight shines down
From a grey, desolate sky
Which seems to offer the perfect changes
Intimidating walls of repressed memories
Continue to grow deep around my soul
With perfect changes
Interrogate - Question everything
Slip into denail - Tear into the pain
I am not a fucking slave
So, take this broken chain
Cut it away
And question every part of you
Entering an abandoned shelter
As blackened patches of shimmering light seep through
The cracked windows of unforgiven sorrow
This change is perfect
The distant sound of forgotten voices
Slowly becomes relevant in my eternal solitude
As perfect changes form
Evacuate - Burns of cold disease
Leaving her in ashes
Painting misery
Constant pain inside of me
Sharp as a metal knife cutting away
And spreading open every part of you
Every point of you (the face of truth)
Sharp as metal knives shredding the face (the face of truth)
And spreading open the fucking truth
Gripping every piece of everything I hate about you
I can't take this anymore
I keep wanting this to break
Cutting away from spreading open every part of you
Growing into me
Filling up with light
Burning in my soul
This longing never dies
Rip off my face
Throw me in my grave
Close the gate
Lock me far away
Tear apart the roots of belief
Conceive the truth of her mystery
Fall in half far down in a hole
Cut the pulse, break all of my bones
Lock the door and throw out the key
Conceive the truth of her mystery
I've found this longing never dies. . .
Of lonely manipulation
On am empty trail, as the moonlight shines down
From a grey, desolate sky
Which seems to offer the perfect changes
Intimidating walls of repressed memories
Continue to grow deep around my soul
With perfect changes
Interrogate - Question everything
Slip into denail - Tear into the pain
I am not a fucking slave
So, take this broken chain
Cut it away
And question every part of you
Entering an abandoned shelter
As blackened patches of shimmering light seep through
The cracked windows of unforgiven sorrow
This change is perfect
The distant sound of forgotten voices
Slowly becomes relevant in my eternal solitude
As perfect changes form
Evacuate - Burns of cold disease
Leaving her in ashes
Painting misery
Constant pain inside of me
Sharp as a metal knife cutting away
And spreading open every part of you
Every point of you (the face of truth)
Sharp as metal knives shredding the face (the face of truth)
And spreading open the fucking truth
Gripping every piece of everything I hate about you
I can't take this anymore
I keep wanting this to break
Cutting away from spreading open every part of you
Growing into me
Filling up with light
Burning in my soul
This longing never dies
Rip off my face
Throw me in my grave
Close the gate
Lock me far away
Tear apart the roots of belief
Conceive the truth of her mystery
Fall in half far down in a hole
Cut the pulse, break all of my bones
Lock the door and throw out the key
Conceive the truth of her mystery
I've found this longing never dies. . .
Lyrics submitted by rcsoul
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