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."
From the morning when I rise from my bed
'Til the evening when I lay my head in slumber
Oh, the loss of you does wreck my days
Leaves me with a violent hunger
I will never be free from you
'Til I escape the lion's jaw
There's no welcome in the end
There's no reason to return again
The mountain stood so large
We were humbled
We walked a high and lonely path
The sun beat down on the ground
We looked around us
There were no trees there
We found a creek there
We dipped our feet there
We were alone there
There was still hope there
There had been a great disaster
The hot winds came just after
A tremendous shock was felt
Survivors often tell
The trees all hit the ground
Death was all around
And not a single lonesome sigh
The example lay before you
You knew what you had to do
You have a pressure in you
To destroy the one who loved you
The death was all around
You were hotter to me than the sun
That burned me up the day we went
To mount saint helens
And if the special death you gave to me
Is the prize i get to take home solemnly
And suffer with the fact that
I could never be your friend
I could never come back home again
'Til the evening when I lay my head in slumber
Oh, the loss of you does wreck my days
Leaves me with a violent hunger
I will never be free from you
'Til I escape the lion's jaw
There's no welcome in the end
There's no reason to return again
The mountain stood so large
We were humbled
We walked a high and lonely path
The sun beat down on the ground
We looked around us
There were no trees there
We found a creek there
We dipped our feet there
We were alone there
There was still hope there
There had been a great disaster
The hot winds came just after
A tremendous shock was felt
Survivors often tell
The trees all hit the ground
Death was all around
And not a single lonesome sigh
The example lay before you
You knew what you had to do
You have a pressure in you
To destroy the one who loved you
The death was all around
You were hotter to me than the sun
That burned me up the day we went
To mount saint helens
And if the special death you gave to me
Is the prize i get to take home solemnly
And suffer with the fact that
I could never be your friend
I could never come back home again
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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“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.
a beautiful song, and yes i agree that she feels as if she has been destroyed by a relationship. she cannot be freed from the idea of the relationship or her lover, she can't "escape the lion's jaw."
i think that the imagery of presenting mt. saint helens shows how monumental this relationship/lover is to mirah. she and her lover were "humbled" by the mountain, as if it made them feel insignificant. so much is going on in the world around her, there is destruction everywhere, not just in her heart.