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."
Hey bro props at the after show
Can you tell me where the green buds grows?
I'd like to say you turned my life around
I lost myself outside again
With the sound running through my head
Drowned out way out in the crowd
And the crowd goes singing
My people are the misfits
The ones that don't fit in
With the smile I know it comes within
I can feel you in the corners laughing when the lighting's low
They say
Tick tick
Tell me where the time goes
Oh life, you know it moves much to slow
Tick tick tell me where the time goes
Those are the ones for me
Those are the ones for me
The misfits, the freaks, the enemy, you and me
Those are the ones for me
Those are the ones for me
The misfits, the freaks, the enemy, you and me
My people are the misfits
I won't let you down
I'm dizzy from whatever we just passed around
I bleed for the moments when we're here
And we're all around
Can you tell me where the green buds grows?
I'd like to say you turned my life around
I lost myself outside again
With the sound running through my head
Drowned out way out in the crowd
And the crowd goes singing
My people are the misfits
The ones that don't fit in
With the smile I know it comes within
I can feel you in the corners laughing when the lighting's low
They say
Tick tick
Tell me where the time goes
Oh life, you know it moves much to slow
Tick tick tell me where the time goes
Those are the ones for me
Those are the ones for me
The misfits, the freaks, the enemy, you and me
Those are the ones for me
Those are the ones for me
The misfits, the freaks, the enemy, you and me
My people are the misfits
I won't let you down
I'm dizzy from whatever we just passed around
I bleed for the moments when we're here
And we're all around
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
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
I believe Jenkins may be referring to a passage by Jack Kerouac. Otherwise, he's talking about his fans and the special people they are. Nerds, misfits, loudmouths, people that like to keep away from the norm.
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." — Jack Kerouac
i love this song and can definetly relate...its a great song n a great cd everyone shud own a copy!!
this is probably my favorite song on the new album. when i saw them in april, stephan said that 'misfits' was the song that's the 'most special' to him and people 'aren't meant to hear it.' i can just really relate to this song - i think all fans can. it gives me chills everytime i listen to it, because at the end stephan is yelling, "THE MISTFITS - THE FREAKS - THE ENEMY - YOU AND ME - THOSE ARE THE ONES FOR ME." and he is totally sincere in what he is saying there. awesome band. awesome song.
I also think that this song is partly about smoking marjuana, I mean look at these lines... "Can you tell me where the greenbuds grows?" and "I'm dizzy from whatever we just passed around " Just thought I'd point that out. Otherwise this is a very deep song, as all 3eb songs are, they are very talented and have absolutley magical lyrics. But I cant seem to make out the exact meaning....is it about weed or about...you know misfits? hehe
i've heard that this song is about the after-shows, backstage, and all that. interpret it how you will, this song is amazing.
this is by far their best song, they continue to amaze me.
This song is about Stephan and his friends are the misunderstood people, the "Misfits." Even though other people in society may look down upon them, they are still, and will always be there for each other. They don't need to be concidered "cool," just as long as they have each other, every thing is all good.
I think many people can relate to this song, as well as may other 3eb songs. his lyrics are simply amazing...
great song. It's a very relatable song to people who don't care about following the crowd and just doing what they want and are happier for it.
This song just is just telling you to not judge anyone.
Be a misfit, an oddball. Be different because people admire that so much more than following the crowd.
But I'm not trying to say that old faggott line "If they all jumped off a bridge, would you?" you know the line that all mothers use on their children. Because honestly I wouldnt jump off the bridge.
But needless to say...
BE DIFFERENT.
This is such a good song. I love it