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."
You fall faster when bending backwards
We've been back there
Feel the street sides taking half lives
Never asked why
Don't you know that crossing fingers and hiding laughter never mattered?
So nevermind if what we have isn't
Our uphill climb has led to valentines
Afraid we'd fall apart in arms
Now it's yours and it's
Better than surrender
Better late than never
Always
Then I'll say
Better than forever
Better late than never
Always
A holiday
I was tired of listening to all the reasons they were giving
Stories start with good beginning and leave us spinning
But you would creep in any seasons
Anywhere that you could sleep in
Nevermind our thick and thin reasons
Our uphill climb has led to valentines
Afraid we'd fall apart in arms
Now it's yours and it's
Better than surrender
Better late than never
Always
Then I'll say
Better than forever
Better late than never
Always
A holiday
Falling faster
Bending backwards
We've been back there
Now two years after
Bending backward never mattered
Nevermind if what we have isn't
Better than surrender
Better late than never
Always
Then I'll say
Better than forever
Better late than never
Always
A holiday
We've been back there
Feel the street sides taking half lives
Never asked why
Don't you know that crossing fingers and hiding laughter never mattered?
So nevermind if what we have isn't
Our uphill climb has led to valentines
Afraid we'd fall apart in arms
Now it's yours and it's
Better than surrender
Better late than never
Always
Then I'll say
Better than forever
Better late than never
Always
A holiday
I was tired of listening to all the reasons they were giving
Stories start with good beginning and leave us spinning
But you would creep in any seasons
Anywhere that you could sleep in
Nevermind our thick and thin reasons
Our uphill climb has led to valentines
Afraid we'd fall apart in arms
Now it's yours and it's
Better than surrender
Better late than never
Always
Then I'll say
Better than forever
Better late than never
Always
A holiday
Falling faster
Bending backwards
We've been back there
Now two years after
Bending backward never mattered
Nevermind if what we have isn't
Better than surrender
Better late than never
Always
Then I'll say
Better than forever
Better late than never
Always
A holiday
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