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."
The ending isn't here
There's somethin' wrong
But it's comin' real soon
I lock step, I'm gone
I said the feeling isn't fear
There's something wrong
It's just telling you to move
I lock step, I'm gone
There's a fire on the corner and it's never gonna stop
Killer in the neighborhood never got caught
I lock up my door step out and I'm gone
Waitin' for the buses but the buses won't come
All the docks are quiet
There's somethin' wrong
And there's no ships comin' in
I lock step, I'm gone
Where there once was a riot
There's somethin' wrong
There's a whole lot of nothin'
I lock step I'm gone
The stop signs broken and the meters goin'down
Wild dogs are runnin' themselves into the ground
Everything was clear for that moment in time
If I don't come back well throw me a line
The ending isn't here
But it's coming real soon
The feeling isn't fear
It's just telling you to move
The stop signs broken and the meters goin'down
Wild dogs are runnin' themselves into the ground
Everything was clear for that moment in time
If I don't come back well throw me a line
Well the docks are quiet
There's something wrong
And there's no ships comin' in
I lock step, I'm gone
Where there once was a riot
There's a whole lot of nothin'
There's a whole lot of nothin'
There's a whole lot of nothin'
There's somethin' wrong
But it's comin' real soon
I lock step, I'm gone
I said the feeling isn't fear
There's something wrong
It's just telling you to move
I lock step, I'm gone
There's a fire on the corner and it's never gonna stop
Killer in the neighborhood never got caught
I lock up my door step out and I'm gone
Waitin' for the buses but the buses won't come
All the docks are quiet
There's somethin' wrong
And there's no ships comin' in
I lock step, I'm gone
Where there once was a riot
There's somethin' wrong
There's a whole lot of nothin'
I lock step I'm gone
The stop signs broken and the meters goin'down
Wild dogs are runnin' themselves into the ground
Everything was clear for that moment in time
If I don't come back well throw me a line
The ending isn't here
But it's coming real soon
The feeling isn't fear
It's just telling you to move
The stop signs broken and the meters goin'down
Wild dogs are runnin' themselves into the ground
Everything was clear for that moment in time
If I don't come back well throw me a line
Well the docks are quiet
There's something wrong
And there's no ships comin' in
I lock step, I'm gone
Where there once was a riot
There's a whole lot of nothin'
There's a whole lot of nothin'
There's a whole lot of nothin'
Lyrics submitted by Kpizzle
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
Indigo
Of Mice & Men
Of Mice & Men
This track is about is about questioning why the sky would choose to be blue if it had the choice to be anything else, “blue also meaning sad,” states frontman Aaron Pauley. “It's about comforting a loved one in a time of loss by telling them you feel blue, too.”
Tim Armstrong grew up in a very rough part of California the type of place that in every dark ally theres a dealer or a group of punked up teenagers who'll kick your ass for no reason. 'I lock my door step out and i'm gone dont bother waitin for the busses cause the busses wont come.' that says a lot there. I like this song so much because i live in a same type of area in england.
rnt peeps suposd to write bout the song - not random punks fighting over the net???
rubysoho, don't be so ignorant. such places exist everywhere.
i dont know where you liver bittersweet but i live in egland and i have no idea what the hell terraryzin is talking about.
yeah well lets put it like this 3 weeks ago a guy got murdered in my street shot 3 times and last week a a guy in the street next two me got killed due to drugs.....dont tell me i dont about where i live "iampunk" i live here you dont so tape it shut!
Damn, you all are straight up gangsta. Word.
there are people who would do that anywhere, in any part of any city, in any small town in the countryside of any place. just because you dont see things happening everyday doesnt mean they dont happen. anyone can get banged up or stabbed or shot anywhere, it aint something to be proud of, maybe something to write a song about. anyway i dont think the bay area/oakland whatever sounds all that nuts. then again i dont think London is very hardcore either.
this song is fucking hardcore, ghetto oakland is pretty crazy at night
i love this song its just great!great beat
Songs about living in a rough area, not much happening, everyone's afraid to leave the house. Nothing going on. I live just outside chicago so I know how it can be, but life's rough everywhere. No one's really got the easy end of it.