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 have been in this line of work for a long time
And I have never seen anything so strange and so peculiar
Its all so deranged
see for yourself
Ladies and gentelmen of the jury
step right up and see the freak
we caught him red handed down by the morgue
where he sleeps
and if you think that "That's disgusting"
wait til you hear this
I never can do it justice
Dead girls like me
Dead girls like me
Can't you see?
I don't expect you to understand me
I'm not an ordinary man
and I have seen things with these eyes
you'd never comprehend
see for yourself now
take those living women
they have never shown me any kindness of any kind
its not my fault i look this way
I try to talk to them
they look at me and walk away
so really is it so strange that
dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls like me
oh, dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls don't walk away from me
sad as it seems
have you ever tasted love like this?
cool and smooth have you ever been accepted unconditionaly?
have you ever loved someone who didn't hurt you, didn't harm you?
There's no pain and there's no pressure
no humiliation
there's no fear and there's no shame
there's no pulse now is it so strange?
dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls like me
oh, dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls don't walk away from me
sad as it seems
And I have never seen anything so strange and so peculiar
Its all so deranged
see for yourself
Ladies and gentelmen of the jury
step right up and see the freak
we caught him red handed down by the morgue
where he sleeps
and if you think that "That's disgusting"
wait til you hear this
I never can do it justice
Dead girls like me
Dead girls like me
Can't you see?
I don't expect you to understand me
I'm not an ordinary man
and I have seen things with these eyes
you'd never comprehend
see for yourself now
take those living women
they have never shown me any kindness of any kind
its not my fault i look this way
I try to talk to them
they look at me and walk away
so really is it so strange that
dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls like me
oh, dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls don't walk away from me
sad as it seems
have you ever tasted love like this?
cool and smooth have you ever been accepted unconditionaly?
have you ever loved someone who didn't hurt you, didn't harm you?
There's no pain and there's no pressure
no humiliation
there's no fear and there's no shame
there's no pulse now is it so strange?
dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls like me
oh, dead girls like me
can't you see?
only dead girls don't walk away from me
sad as it seems
Lyrics submitted by eternityawaits
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danny elfman and morrissey are two of voltaires influences. My mates think he sounds like jack skellington. a girl and i actually had a debate with someone over this song, we came to the conclusion that i would be complimented if someone wanted to desicrate my corpse in such a manner.... twas a good partay.
@Azraeldrah 15 years later, and I wonder if you still would be okay with someone "desecrating your corpse in such a way", lol