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."
Watch me now
Waitress all dressed like nurses in bondage
Brought me the check, said "I want you to sign this"
Union boy standing next to the rastas
"There's gonna be a strike and you ain't gonna stop us"
Three men standing and they love what they do
You won't see it coming, cause they wanna surprise you
Consider it done, they're gonna stand right by you
American punks don't care about you
Hollywood what you gonna do?
[Chorus]
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you can't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
You can take away the nights with sights of bright lights
Sheiks still ride, engage in street fights
Two to the head, pull around, he's dead
Suspect fled, caught up with bloodshed
No sign of hope, we fight and sling dope
Junkies to our left, no fix, they can't cope
Violence won't cease, hand me the chrome piece
No peace or sleep, we fight with police
This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true
So pay attention
[Chorus]
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted
Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted
Once again she passes, now she's gone
Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young
She showed up on the scene, she was 17
Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke
She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope
She thinks she's a star
Do you know who you are?
Waitress all dressed like nurses in bondage
Brought me the check, said "I want you to sign this"
Union boy standing next to the rastas
"There's gonna be a strike and you ain't gonna stop us"
Three men standing and they love what they do
You won't see it coming, cause they wanna surprise you
Consider it done, they're gonna stand right by you
American punks don't care about you
Hollywood what you gonna do?
[Chorus]
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you can't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
You can take away the nights with sights of bright lights
Sheiks still ride, engage in street fights
Two to the head, pull around, he's dead
Suspect fled, caught up with bloodshed
No sign of hope, we fight and sling dope
Junkies to our left, no fix, they can't cope
Violence won't cease, hand me the chrome piece
No peace or sleep, we fight with police
This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true
So pay attention
[Chorus]
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted
Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted
Once again she passes, now she's gone
Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young
She showed up on the scene, she was 17
Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke
She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope
She thinks she's a star
Do you know who you are?
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Mountain Song
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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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“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.
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About moral decadence on the West Coast?
About brody dalle from the distillers? (tims ex g/f) she came from australia @ 17 to california
goddamn it. its not Two to the head, pull around, he's dead its pool of red not pull around. you can hear it if you listen to it closely
definetly two to the head, get out of here
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted Once again she passes, now she's gone Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young She showed up on the scene, she was 17 Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope She thinks she's a star Do you know who you are?
im pretty sure that last paragraph is about brody dalle
"California Babylon" is on the 2002 album, together with "Weight on my Mind" (ft. Brody), and the booklet shows a picture of Tim wearing his wedding ring ... so how can the song refer to Brody? Besides, she was not 21 at that time.
The album "Transplants" was recorded from 2000-2002 therefor Brody Dalle WAS 21 around the time the song may have been written. Also, she was 16 when she met Tim and 17 when she hit the scene in California/U.S. It's very clear that the last paragraph is about Brody, the whole song might even be about her, there is alot of references to her in the song if you really pay attention. Perhaps their relationship was on the rough even when the album was being made (since they broke up only a year after the album was released).
Its about the pigs which are also refered to as the babylon
I LOVE this song. Heard it for years while playing Tony Hawk's Underground, then bought the album when I got old enough to realise how much I loved the song.
I love that the line "This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true" comes right after the rap part about drugs and violence. That speaks to me like this: sometimes, no matter how many horrible qualities a person/place has, some people are so attracted by the superficial things that they become narrow sighted, and fail to see the big bloody picture; and what's inside is ALWAYS more important than what appears on the surface.
P.S. - I agree 100% that the last lines were written about Tim's then-wife Brody Armstrong. Or Dalle. Or Homme now, I don't know.