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."
She seems dressed in all the rings
Of past fatalaties
So fragile yet so devious
She continues to see it
Climatic hands that press
Her temples and my chest
Enter the night that she came home
Forever
Oh (She's the only one that makes me sad)
She is everything and more
The solemn hypnotic
My Dahlia bathed in possession
She is home to me
I get nervous, perverse, when I see her it's worse
But the stress is astounding
It's now or never she's coming home
Forever
Oh (she's the only one that makes me sad)
(Coming alive, she's coming alive)
Hard to say what caught my attention
Vixen crazy, aphid attraction
Carve my name in my face to recognize
Such a pheromone cult to terrorize
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
Yeah!
I'm a slave, and I am a master
No restraints and unchecked collectors
I exist through my need, to self-oblige
She is something in me, that I despise
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
She isn't real
I can't make her real
She isn't real
I can't make her real
She isn't real
I can't make her real
She isn't real
I can't make her real
Of past fatalaties
So fragile yet so devious
She continues to see it
Climatic hands that press
Her temples and my chest
Enter the night that she came home
Forever
Oh (She's the only one that makes me sad)
She is everything and more
The solemn hypnotic
My Dahlia bathed in possession
She is home to me
I get nervous, perverse, when I see her it's worse
But the stress is astounding
It's now or never she's coming home
Forever
Oh (she's the only one that makes me sad)
(Coming alive, she's coming alive)
Hard to say what caught my attention
Vixen crazy, aphid attraction
Carve my name in my face to recognize
Such a pheromone cult to terrorize
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
Yeah!
I'm a slave, and I am a master
No restraints and unchecked collectors
I exist through my need, to self-oblige
She is something in me, that I despise
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
I won't let this build up inside of me
She isn't real
I can't make her real
She isn't real
I can't make her real
She isn't real
I can't make her real
She isn't real
I can't make her real
Lyrics submitted by NeutralPunkGuy, edited by jakeman1397, KatThing, Dovah117
Vermilion Lyrics as written by Mickael Thomson Corey Taylor
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings

Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction

Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/

Trouble Breathing
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
While the obvious connections with suicide or alcoholism could be drawn easily, more subtly this song could be about someone who views the world through a negative lens constantly and how as much as the writer tries to show the beauty in the world, this person refuses to see it. It's one or another between the rope and the bottle. There is no good option for this person. They can't see it. Skiba sings it in a kind of exasperated way like He's tired of hearing this negative view constantly and just allowing that person to continue feeling the way they feel knowing he can't do anything about it. You can hear it when he says maybe you're a vampire.

Another Love
Tom Odell
Tom Odell
I think the meaning is pretty clear. This person got really burned in a previous relationship, and because of this is unable to love and show care in his present one, even though he so badly wants to. It's lovely song, and very sad. You can really feel how defeated and frustrated he is with himself.

Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
To me, this song represents the routine of an opioid addict, most likely heroin.
She seems dressed in all the rings... {Heroin (and most other opioids) are a 3 ringed molecule} Of past fatalities {Opioids can cause death in overdose, heroin has been linked to many deaths worldwide} so fragile, yet so devious {heroin is the most fragile of the opioids, also, opioid addicition has repetetivly been called a trap (hence devious)} She continues to see climatic hands that press Her temples {heroin is converted to morphine in the brain, "her temples" are the two acetyl groups which replace the hydroxide groups on the morphine molecule, essentially, when the body presses her "temples" it becomes morphine} and my chest {opioids cause respiratory depression (slow breathing)} enter the night That she came home... forever {addict gets his/her fix, wants it to last forever}
Oh (She's the only one that makes me sad) {heroin withdrawl can cause rather nasty depression}
She is everything and more {many opioids users feel that their drug is "everything" to them, euphoria, removal of anxiety, depression etc..} The solemn hypnotic {opioids can cause drowsiness/sleepiness} My Dahlia, you're bathed in posession {many addicts steal to buy the drug} She is home to me {the feelings of protection, safety, comfort etc, that can be caused by opioids can make addicts feel "at home"}
I get neverous, perverse when I see her its worse {again, withdrawl syndrome} But the stress is astounding {more withdrawl syndrome} It's now or never she's coming home Forever {again, addict gets his/her fix}
Oh (She's the only one that makes me sad) {withdrawl syndrome}
Hard to say what caught my attention Fixed and crazy--Aphid Attraction {unsure why he/her was drawn into the snares of opioids} Carve my name in my face, to recognize Such a pheromone cult to terrorize {the media has frequently made addicts feel like their part of a cult}
I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me {this could mean alot of things, tolerance? depression from withdrawl? etc..} (Yeah!)
I'm a slave, and I am a master {slave to the drug, yet wants to feel in control} No restraints and, unchecked collectors {refering to dealers as "unchecked collectors" the drugs are commonly adultered as there is no quality control} I exist through my need, to self ablige {exists to take the drug} She is something in me, that i despise {despises the drug, the addiction?}
I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me {again, possibly tolerance or depression?} I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me I won't let this build up inside of me
SHE ISN'T REAL! I CAN'T MAKE HER REAL! SHE ISN'T REAL! I CAN'T MAKE HER REAL! {the effects of opioids [feelings of safety, protection, comfort, euphoria] are the effects of a drug, nothing real, no divine influnce} (She isn't real, I can't make her real) (She isn't real, I can't make her real) {see above}