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."
On a bus ride into town
I wondered, "Why am I going to town?"
As I looked around
At the billboards and the stores
I thought, "Why do I look around?"
I got up and bowed
And I kissed the filthy ground
And in the first dry spot I found I laid back down
Without having to wonder
Why I was laying down
Before long I was too cold
And so I took a bus back to the station
I found a letter left by a pay phone
With no return contact
And it read like a horn blown
By some sad angel:
"Bunny, it was me
It was me who let you down"
It was the shyest attempt
I'd ever seen at conversation
If I didn't have you as my guide
I'd still wander lost in Sinai
Counting the plates of cars from out of state
(How I could jump in their path as they hurry along!)
Until you surround me
You're pretty but you're all I can see
Like a thick fog
If there was no way into God
I would never have laid in this grave of a body
For so long
St. Cyril's fair always came through
The first week of September
But it's already the 19th
And there's no sign of it yet
I have a hard time remembering
The things I should remember
And a hard time forgetting
All the things I should forget
Oh Christ, when you're ready to come back
I think I'm ready for you to come back
But if you want to stay wherever exactly it is you are
That's okay too -
It's really none of my business
And if I didn't have you as my guide
I'd still be wandering lost in Sinai
Or down by the tracks
Watching trains go by to remind me:
There are places that aren't here
I had a well but all the water left
So I'll ask for your forgiveness
With every breath
If there was no way into God
I would never have laid in this grave of a body
So long, dear
I wondered, "Why am I going to town?"
As I looked around
At the billboards and the stores
I thought, "Why do I look around?"
I got up and bowed
And I kissed the filthy ground
And in the first dry spot I found I laid back down
Without having to wonder
Why I was laying down
Before long I was too cold
And so I took a bus back to the station
I found a letter left by a pay phone
With no return contact
And it read like a horn blown
By some sad angel:
"Bunny, it was me
It was me who let you down"
It was the shyest attempt
I'd ever seen at conversation
If I didn't have you as my guide
I'd still wander lost in Sinai
Counting the plates of cars from out of state
(How I could jump in their path as they hurry along!)
Until you surround me
You're pretty but you're all I can see
Like a thick fog
If there was no way into God
I would never have laid in this grave of a body
For so long
St. Cyril's fair always came through
The first week of September
But it's already the 19th
And there's no sign of it yet
I have a hard time remembering
The things I should remember
And a hard time forgetting
All the things I should forget
Oh Christ, when you're ready to come back
I think I'm ready for you to come back
But if you want to stay wherever exactly it is you are
That's okay too -
It's really none of my business
And if I didn't have you as my guide
I'd still be wandering lost in Sinai
Or down by the tracks
Watching trains go by to remind me:
There are places that aren't here
I had a well but all the water left
So I'll ask for your forgiveness
With every breath
If there was no way into God
I would never have laid in this grave of a body
So long, dear
Lyrics submitted by thegreatcreator, edited by Carousels, nazabene
Carousels Lyrics as written by Gaynor Elsbeth Sadler Anthony George Sadler
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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the first time i heard this song i had to listen to it about 10 times because it was so great. one of my favorites off of 'catch for us the foxes'.
maybe its just me, but mewithoutyou reminds me of a new age moss icon, maybe because of all their spoken word and just random explosions of emotion.. plus very poetic lyrics.
Wow the last post was 6 years ago!? .....that saddens my heart to know that there's a strong chance that not many are discovering this band and how great they are! :(