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."
Do you remember when you where seven?
And the only thing that you wanted to do
Was show your mum that you could play the piano
Ten years have passed
And the one thing that lasts
Is that same old song that we played along and made my mumma cry
I miss those days and I miss those ways
When I got lost in fantasies
In a cartoon land of mysteries
In a place you won't grow old in a place you won't feel cold and I'll sing
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Seems I'm lost in my reflection
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Find a star for my direction
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
For the little girl inside who won't just hide
Don't let me see mistakes and lies
Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes
My innocent eyes
Do you remember when you were fifteen?
And the kids at school called you a fool 'cause you took the chance to dream
In the time that's past and the one thing that lasts
Is that same old song that we played along and made my daddy cry
I miss those days and I miss those ways
When I got lost in fantasies
In a cartoon land of mysteries
In a place you won't grow old in a place you won't feel cold and I'll sing
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Seems I'm lost in my reflection
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Find a star for my direction
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
For the little girl inside who won't just hide
Don't let me see mistakes and lies
Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes
My innocent eyes
Under my feeling under my skin
Under the thoughts from within
Learning the subtext
Of the mind
See creation how where defined
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Seems I'm lost in my reflection
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Find a star for my direction
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
For the little girl inside who won't just hide
Don't let me see mistakes and lies
Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes
My innocent eyes
And the only thing that you wanted to do
Was show your mum that you could play the piano
Ten years have passed
And the one thing that lasts
Is that same old song that we played along and made my mumma cry
I miss those days and I miss those ways
When I got lost in fantasies
In a cartoon land of mysteries
In a place you won't grow old in a place you won't feel cold and I'll sing
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Seems I'm lost in my reflection
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Find a star for my direction
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
For the little girl inside who won't just hide
Don't let me see mistakes and lies
Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes
My innocent eyes
Do you remember when you were fifteen?
And the kids at school called you a fool 'cause you took the chance to dream
In the time that's past and the one thing that lasts
Is that same old song that we played along and made my daddy cry
I miss those days and I miss those ways
When I got lost in fantasies
In a cartoon land of mysteries
In a place you won't grow old in a place you won't feel cold and I'll sing
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Seems I'm lost in my reflection
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Find a star for my direction
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
For the little girl inside who won't just hide
Don't let me see mistakes and lies
Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes
My innocent eyes
Under my feeling under my skin
Under the thoughts from within
Learning the subtext
Of the mind
See creation how where defined
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Seems I'm lost in my reflection
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Find a star for my direction
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
For the little girl inside who won't just hide
Don't let me see mistakes and lies
Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes
My innocent eyes
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'DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE SEVEN AND ALL YOU WANTED TO DO WAS SHOW YOUR MUM YOU COULD PLAY THE PIANO!!'erm no.. most people don't really remember there child hood as goody goody as that... its to innocent..
I love this song! I can't believe that only 2 people have made a comment! It's obviously about Delta's childhood, looking back on her life and her innocence as a child. And she compares herself to the child Delta - "For the little girl inside who wont just hide Don't let me see mistakes and lies Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes". Tom.
I love chris.....that line is too "innocent"?...the song is called INNOCENT eyes......
This is a beautiful song, about memories... and sometimes memories you would prefer not to have. Like that moment when suddenly you discovered you were too grown up for cartoons, or the relationship you used to have with your parents, that they would be so proud of you that they would cry when you did something simple. This is an indulgence for the innocence inside, a few childish things she allows herself to do, "for the little girl inside," to prove to herself that all hope isn't gone, that she is still an innocent, deep inside. It's a very thoughtful song, and the piano is just gorgeous. Delta has a wonderful voice.
this song is about wishing you could go back in time, and wanting to keep the faith. :)
if u think abwt it.... the older u gt, the more everything changes n bcums complicated, sumtyms ppl just wanna go bk 2 the simplier tyms wn they wer younger, in the song, i think wn ppl let out their inner child it shows that older ppl still hav that innocence and that faith they had as a child..eerrrrrrrrrmmm, hope i made sense lol, anyway i love this song, it duz sound soooo innocent
I notice another thought the memories from the song were TOO innocent or goody goody. I thought so too but then my memories are not pleasant for reasons. I definitely feel the middle verse, of missing the cartoon world and fantasies, the younger way of thinking we have. I wish we could all GIVE our children and all the younger generation, memories of real life that are as good as Delta's.