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."
Jesus loves me
But not my wife
Not my nigger friends
Or their nigger lives
But jesus loves me
That's for sure
'Cause the bible tells me so
Read your bible good and well
Don't forget about that apple spell
Don't fall in the wishing well
Wishing for heaven and gettin' hell
Wash behind your eras don't smell
Cover them freckles don't ask don't tell
Kiss your papa but not too long
Hold his hands
Don't do no wrong
Jesus loves me
But not my wife
Not my nigger friends
Or their nigger lives
But jesus loves me
That's for sure
'Cause the bible tells me so
Hush don't cry
Dry them tears
Time'll wash away all them years
Scare or a bruise
Pick and choose
When you're all grown up
You'll have the blues
Life'll give you that wedding ring
Fancy cars and diamond things
You best believe in jesus' way
And never fall asleep forgetting to pray
Jesus loves me
But not my wife
Not my nigger friends
Or their nigger lives
But jesus loves me
That's for sure
'Cause the bible tells me so
But not my wife
Not my nigger friends
Or their nigger lives
But jesus loves me
That's for sure
'Cause the bible tells me so
Read your bible good and well
Don't forget about that apple spell
Don't fall in the wishing well
Wishing for heaven and gettin' hell
Wash behind your eras don't smell
Cover them freckles don't ask don't tell
Kiss your papa but not too long
Hold his hands
Don't do no wrong
Jesus loves me
But not my wife
Not my nigger friends
Or their nigger lives
But jesus loves me
That's for sure
'Cause the bible tells me so
Hush don't cry
Dry them tears
Time'll wash away all them years
Scare or a bruise
Pick and choose
When you're all grown up
You'll have the blues
Life'll give you that wedding ring
Fancy cars and diamond things
You best believe in jesus' way
And never fall asleep forgetting to pray
Jesus loves me
But not my wife
Not my nigger friends
Or their nigger lives
But jesus loves me
That's for sure
'Cause the bible tells me so
Lyrics submitted by landl0ckedblues
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
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 listened to this song alot last year around May. Listen to it with the sun shining, you'll feel a noble feeling.
If you are listening to this song and feel a "noble feeling" or think the writer was relaying any kind of positive message I suggest listening to this song a bit more. While I have no problem with religion I do not believe in anything a human being wrote as being "holy". The Bible was written by men, specifically very prejudiced men. Directions on slave beatings, women being worth less than men and needing to be put in their place, and many other ridiculous things are included in the Bible. I believe that is the direction Cocorosie is heading with in this song. Plainly, Jesus loves me and not you because I am [Insert - White, Straight, a Man, a Christian, a "non-sinner" etc] and you're not.
This seems like a satire on religion to me
Tongue in cheek satire is definitely Cocorosies' style.
This song is quite oviosly about racism in cristianity.
Anyone else think this song is a little too obtuse? I'm mean, talk about hitting easy targets. There's nothing innovative or interesting lyrically. Musically, I do tend to like CocoRosie. Contrast this with By Your Side where there are positives brought along with the obvious satire which makes the song much more interesting.
yeah i agree theyre lyrics are usually simple but i like how this song kind of sounds like a hymn but the words make it quite ironic. um i like cocorosie but not much into that monosyllabic rhymes and cliches. anyway gonna see them in october!!!
it's hard to see this as straight, acerbic, satire. I agree with the comment above. It sort of has some softer moments like "Don't fall in the wishing well/ Wishing for heaven and gettin' hell" which are good old fashioned snippets of Cocorosie wisdom, arriving in what seems to be mean old satire. Reading good in the bad & bad in the good blurs the classical "black & white" morality that commissions the satire; it's sort of a new, softer, greyer way of songwriting.
parts of this song are from a hymn, it goes "jesus loves me, this i know, because the bible tells me so".
i like the idea of it being a softer greyer way of songwriting
^^ me too!