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."
It's been a long cold winter without you
I've been crying on the inside over you
You just slipped through my fingers as life turned away
It's been a long cold winter since that day
And it's hard to find, hard to find
Hard to find the strength now but I try
And I don't wanna, I don't wanna
Don't wanna go on and speak now of what's gone by
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No, no I can't change
You just slipped through my fingers
And I feel so ashamed
You just slipped through my fingers
And I failed
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No, no I can't change
You just slipped through my fingers
And I feel so ashamed
You just slipped through my fingers
And I failed
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
You can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
No matter what I do
No matter what I say
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
No matter what I do
No matter what I say
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(You just slipped through my fingers)
No matter what I do
No matter what I say
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(And I feel so ashamed)
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(You just slipped through my fingers)
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(And I failed)
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(You just slipped through my fingers)
(And I feel so ashamed)
(You just slipped through my fingers)
(And I failed)
I've been crying on the inside over you
You just slipped through my fingers as life turned away
It's been a long cold winter since that day
And it's hard to find, hard to find
Hard to find the strength now but I try
And I don't wanna, I don't wanna
Don't wanna go on and speak now of what's gone by
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No, no I can't change
You just slipped through my fingers
And I feel so ashamed
You just slipped through my fingers
And I failed
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No, no I can't change
You just slipped through my fingers
And I feel so ashamed
You just slipped through my fingers
And I failed
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
You can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
No matter what I do
No matter what I say
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
No matter what I do
No matter what I say
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(You just slipped through my fingers)
No matter what I do
No matter what I say
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(And I feel so ashamed)
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(You just slipped through my fingers)
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(And I failed)
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
Can't change what happened
Can't change what happened
(You just slipped through my fingers)
(And I feel so ashamed)
(You just slipped through my fingers)
(And I failed)
Lyrics submitted by Earthsick84
A Natural Disaster Lyrics as written by Daniel Cavanagh
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I Can't Go To Sleep
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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
Radiohead
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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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This song is about loss. The loss of someone very dear and very close. It could be a sad break-up or a tragic death.
Personally, a dear friend of mine tragically and unexpectedly passed away at the young age of thirty recently and this song makes me think of her and my feelings toward her.
She just slipped through my fingers and I'm crying on the inside but no matter what I do, no matter what I say I can't change what happened