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."
Do you like pretty things?
Would you caress broken wings?
To truly smile, to face the day
Do you like pretty things?
And in time did you know
Pretty things always go?
A smile can never go away
It ought to be the face today
Castles melt in the sand
But you could still touch my hand
And have a dream, then go away
If you like pretty things
Can you mend broken wings?
Do you know of these things?
First at a glance you'd think you might
If you like pretty things
Would you caress broken wings?
To truly smile, to face the day
Do you like pretty things?
And in time did you know
Pretty things always go?
A smile can never go away
It ought to be the face today
Castles melt in the sand
But you could still touch my hand
And have a dream, then go away
If you like pretty things
Can you mend broken wings?
Do you know of these things?
First at a glance you'd think you might
If you like pretty things
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
Pretty Things Lyrics as written by Jonas Gudmundson Johan Brolin
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Isobel Campbell always has a way of making the corniest and over-used themes sound so poetic and pretty. I'm sure her cotton-candy voice only helps her in that area. ;-)
This song might be about 'inner beauty'. I imagine a timid, and cute-yet-slightly bookish girl thinking about this as she looks at her schoolgirl crush from across the room. He is, of course oblivious. lol...
She wonders, "Do you like pretty things?"
Of course, we all do. But then she questions the listeners about the true value of beauty: as corny as it is, true beauty comes from within. A heartfelt and sincere SMILE can make almost ANYONE look beautiful. Superficial, cosmetic beauty, in contrast, rarely lasts a long time:
"And time did you know - pretty things always go? A smile can never go away."
"Castles melt in the sand" also alludes to ephemeral beauty that doesn't really last.
I've personally known girls who I've had an inexplicable attraction to - their faces weren't those of models or conventionally "hot" girls. But now that I've gotten a few years older and can appreciate the human qualities of people a bit more, I realize that it truly WAS their inner beauty peeking out through their SMILES. They were okay with who they were. Comfortable with themselves, and it showed in the way they carried themselves. That is true beauty that lasts a lifetime.
Maybe this is Ms. Campbell's commentary about what true beauty is. Maybe it's a message to her female fans out there who struggle with themselves. She believes that there is beauty inside all of you. ;-)
While I agree with the general idea of outer beauty fading with time, for me this song has a melancolic, and maybe slightly bitter quality. I picture the protagonist as a woman who is beautiful and a bit jaded, and offers her beauty to find warmth and love in hope that a partner will ease the sadness she feels inside (can you caress broken wings). She does realize that it will most likely be shallow and not last (castles melt in the sand), but is willing to try if only for the comfort it will provide her while it lasts (but you could still touch my hand/and have a dream, then go away).