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 sit in darkness cold and wait
Searching in my mind
My watch has stopped at half past eight
And I can't recall a thing
I won't accept this divided state
Where two are trapped in one
I'd ask them to communicate
If I knew how
(I am the one of your fears
In your head, in your bed, in your dreams - or so it seems
Am I too much
I have no fears, have no tears
And might I add, like I said;
Am I too much)
They're starting to interrogate, looking for a sign
Trying to intimidate, "we know you were there that night"
It seems it's getting far too late to find an easy out
But how am I to indicate that it was eye
(I am the one of your fears
In your head, in your bed, in your dreams - or so it seems
Am I too much
I have no fears, have no tears
And once again, little friend;
Am I too much)
I wake before the curtains fall, just in time to see
His devastating work of art, acknowledged and signed by me
And you... you just... just cry
I...
I, oh I got so much I want to say
Yeah, so many things I've kept away
All the lying, all denying, all the little bricks in his game
So clear to me, yet so obscured
If anyone could help me out, if anyone just anyone
But if anyone would find me out
I couldn't bear, I wouldn't dare...
So I play
Searching in my mind
My watch has stopped at half past eight
And I can't recall a thing
I won't accept this divided state
Where two are trapped in one
I'd ask them to communicate
If I knew how
(I am the one of your fears
In your head, in your bed, in your dreams - or so it seems
Am I too much
I have no fears, have no tears
And might I add, like I said;
Am I too much)
They're starting to interrogate, looking for a sign
Trying to intimidate, "we know you were there that night"
It seems it's getting far too late to find an easy out
But how am I to indicate that it was eye
(I am the one of your fears
In your head, in your bed, in your dreams - or so it seems
Am I too much
I have no fears, have no tears
And once again, little friend;
Am I too much)
I wake before the curtains fall, just in time to see
His devastating work of art, acknowledged and signed by me
And you... you just... just cry
I...
I, oh I got so much I want to say
Yeah, so many things I've kept away
All the lying, all denying, all the little bricks in his game
So clear to me, yet so obscured
If anyone could help me out, if anyone just anyone
But if anyone would find me out
I couldn't bear, I wouldn't dare...
So I play
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