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."
[VERSE 1]
And they're thought to be lies
But we saw them, saw them
We looked right in their eyes
Right at them, at them
[VERSE 2]
Pinning space to the world
We slaughtered, slaughtered
Not a sound to be heard
We're awful, awful
[CHORUS 1]
And have you seen
How they run
Out of gas
They beat the pain
They sing in the rain
Endless and formless
They fly to the end
And back to the
Beginning again
[VERSE 3]
Have you put them aside
Your crazy thoughts and dreams
No they're a part of me
And they all mean one thing
[VERSE 4]
The will to death is what keeps me alive
It's one step away
step away
Limitations are set
Only then can we go all the way
all the way
[CHORUS 2]
And have you seen
how the cars
when they pass
They come your way
Then they're speeding away
Coming to you and
then going away
But for them nothing's changed,
for them nothings changed
Oooooooo, ooooooooo
And they're thought to be lies
But we saw them, saw them
We looked right in their eyes
Right at them, at them
[VERSE 2]
Pinning space to the world
We slaughtered, slaughtered
Not a sound to be heard
We're awful, awful
[CHORUS 1]
And have you seen
How they run
Out of gas
They beat the pain
They sing in the rain
Endless and formless
They fly to the end
And back to the
Beginning again
[VERSE 3]
Have you put them aside
Your crazy thoughts and dreams
No they're a part of me
And they all mean one thing
[VERSE 4]
The will to death is what keeps me alive
It's one step away
step away
Limitations are set
Only then can we go all the way
all the way
[CHORUS 2]
And have you seen
how the cars
when they pass
They come your way
Then they're speeding away
Coming to you and
then going away
But for them nothing's changed,
for them nothings changed
Oooooooo, ooooooooo
Lyrics submitted by dosedxbyyou, edited by FistMountain
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
''And they're thought to be lies But we saw them, saw them We looked right in their eyes Right at them, at them''
He looks at his dark side, his unconscious, and sees how every self supressed aspect is lying to himself..trying the hide. He was trying to face himself anyway and looked at ''them'' (fragmented pieces of himself).
''Pinning space to the world We slaughtered, slaughtered Not a sound to be heard We're awful, awful''
He is trying to get rid of his lower self or his uncontrollable thoughts and ''slaughtered''. Trying to make space.. Basically he just hated himself or that part of his personality and longed for.. something like Nirvana (echo death/enlightenment)
''And have you seen How they run Out of gas They beat the pain They sing in the rain Endless and formless They fly to the end And back to the Beginning again''
Looking at himself more and more he sees his lower selves running out of gas (lacking power to act) and they beat the pain which means they become more accepted (even when it rains they're still singing). He is integrating his dark side with acceptance. This becomes an neverending repetition of development because you are never sure if you completely know yourself let alone your dark side. (Endless, formless to the end and back to the beginning again)
''Have you put them aside Your crazy thoughts and dreams No they're a part of me And they all mean one thing''
Becoming free from his suppressed and wounded self he experiences possibilities which until then were unseen. The journey hes traveling is endless though completed when he is dead.
I hope make English is clear.