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."
I can change the world, with my own two hands
Make a better place, with my own two hands
Make a kinder place, oh with my, oh with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I can make peace on earth, with my own two hands
And I can clean up the earth, oh with my own two hands
And I can reach out to you, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
Oh, with my own, oh with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
(With my own two hands)
Now I can hold you, in my own two hands
And I can comfort you, with my own two hands
But you got to use, use your own two hands
Use your own, use your own two hands
Use your own two hands
And with our own two hands
With our, with our, with our own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
Oh, make it a brighter place (With my own)
I can hold you (With my own)
And I can comfort you (With my own)
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use
Oh, use your own
Oh, use your own, Lord
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use, use
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own
Make a better place, with my own two hands
Make a kinder place, oh with my, oh with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I can make peace on earth, with my own two hands
And I can clean up the earth, oh with my own two hands
And I can reach out to you, with my own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
Oh, with my own, oh with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
(With my own two hands)
Now I can hold you, in my own two hands
And I can comfort you, with my own two hands
But you got to use, use your own two hands
Use your own, use your own two hands
Use your own two hands
And with our own two hands
With our, with our, with our own two hands
With my own, with my own two hands
I'm gonna make it a brighter place, (With my own)
I'm gonna make it a safer place, (With my own)
I'm gonna help the human race, (With my own)
Oh, make it a brighter place (With my own)
I can hold you (With my own)
And I can comfort you (With my own)
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use
Oh, use your own
Oh, use your own, Lord
But you got, you got, you got, you got, you got to use, use
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own, use your own, use your own, use your own,
Use your own
Lyrics submitted by millertheoly
With My Own Two Hands Lyrics as written by Benjamin Harper
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
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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.
No Surprises
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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.
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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.
i love him, and this song. This song is suppose to give hope to the possibilities you hold within yourself. I am such a believer that finding happiness and peace is as much of a possibility as you choose to make it for yourself.
i can believe barely anyone has posted this and its been up for 2 years! its my favorite BH song! anyways yeah your right the song basically speaks for itself. no interpretation needed. its about trying to spread the goodness in people harts around the world like caring for one another and cleaning up pollution and bringing peace throughout the world
this song is wonderful. its basically saying anything is possible if you believe in yourself and peace and happiness will outcome of positive, good things.
So many people think that they are incapable of making an impact on the world by themselves and they just leave it up to other people-This song is saying that anyone can do anything if they try, without the help of others..
This song is Amazing!! i listen to it every morning and it inspires Me! If only everyone would listen to this song daily