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 cloudy in the west, it looks like rain
My eyes are black holes and I'm burning away
You slaughtered your loving man, killed him in his sleep
The blood and crying of your murder simply stains your sheets
Now, you're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
You thought winning as a woman meant failing as a friend
It is not an art statement to drown a few passionate men
You made yourself a diamond to blind young men's eyes
You claim because they want your shine, they deserve to walk the line
You're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost forever to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
Yes, I would give you my love
So my soul would not starve
But, it could never move the honest rock
Of what you really are
You're a ghost on the highway
You're like straw and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
If I ever lie with you again, I pray I do not sleep
If I ever closed my eyes again, I'd realize what you are to me
You are simply a liar, an animal who bluffs and steals
Until you become a bigger creature's meal
You're a ghost on the highway
Your trash and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
You're lost on the highway
My eyes are black holes and I'm burning away
You slaughtered your loving man, killed him in his sleep
The blood and crying of your murder simply stains your sheets
Now, you're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
You thought winning as a woman meant failing as a friend
It is not an art statement to drown a few passionate men
You made yourself a diamond to blind young men's eyes
You claim because they want your shine, they deserve to walk the line
You're a ghost on the highway
Your gesture is meaningless
You're lost forever to the living men
Trailing souls to the end
Yes, I would give you my love
So my soul would not starve
But, it could never move the honest rock
Of what you really are
You're a ghost on the highway
You're like straw and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
If I ever lie with you again, I pray I do not sleep
If I ever closed my eyes again, I'd realize what you are to me
You are simply a liar, an animal who bluffs and steals
Until you become a bigger creature's meal
You're a ghost on the highway
Your trash and meaningless
I hate you, but I love you
I'll carry that to the end
You're lost on the highway
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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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/
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
i agree. definitely about the literal love/hate with a woman. he knows she is no good in fact he has seen first hand what she has done to previous lovers and he cannot help but be added to the list.