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."
When your mind is a mess, so is mine, I can't sleep
'Cause it hurts when I think, my thoughts aren't at peace
With the plans that we make, chances we take
They're not yours, they're not mine
There's waves that can't break
All the words that we said and the words that we mean
Words can fall short, can't see the unseen
'Cause the world is awake for somebody's sake
Now please close your eyes, woman, please get some sleep
And know that if I knew all of the answers
I would not hold them from you
Know all of the things that I know
We told each other there is no other way
Mm-mmm-mmm
Well, too much silence can be misleading
You're drifting, I can hear it in the way that you're breathing
We don't really need to find reason
'Cause out the same door that it came
Well, it's leaving, it's leaving
Leaving like a day that's done a part of a season
Resolve is just a concept that's just dead as the leaves
But at least we could sleep, it's all that we need
When we wake we would find our minds would be free to go to sleep
And know that if I knew all of the answers
I would not hold them from you
Know all of the things that I know
'Cause we told each other there is no other way
Mm-mmm-mmm
'Cause it hurts when I think, my thoughts aren't at peace
With the plans that we make, chances we take
They're not yours, they're not mine
There's waves that can't break
All the words that we said and the words that we mean
Words can fall short, can't see the unseen
'Cause the world is awake for somebody's sake
Now please close your eyes, woman, please get some sleep
And know that if I knew all of the answers
I would not hold them from you
Know all of the things that I know
We told each other there is no other way
Mm-mmm-mmm
Well, too much silence can be misleading
You're drifting, I can hear it in the way that you're breathing
We don't really need to find reason
'Cause out the same door that it came
Well, it's leaving, it's leaving
Leaving like a day that's done a part of a season
Resolve is just a concept that's just dead as the leaves
But at least we could sleep, it's all that we need
When we wake we would find our minds would be free to go to sleep
And know that if I knew all of the answers
I would not hold them from you
Know all of the things that I know
'Cause we told each other there is no other way
Mm-mmm-mmm
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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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Alright everybody... I just read an interview with Jack Johnson from HARP magazine, and this is straight from the horse's mouth. He explains every one of his tracks on the album, and here's what he had to say about this one:
“No Other Way“
"That one starts out, “When your mind is a mess, so is mine/I can’t sleep because it hurts when I think.” I think anybody who has been with the same person for a long time-whether it’s a girlfriend or boyfriend, or if they’re married-and when you care about somebody enough, if they’re going through something heavy in their life, you can’t just block it out of your mind and be happy and go about your day. When they’re sad, the waves affect you as well."
So, most everyone was right. except for you outliers who thought it was about cancer or death or pregnancy. But that's the great thing about this song. It means whatever you need it to mean. Jack is especially gifted in that particular area.
This song is very personal to me. I have been on both sides of this struggle. And then there's this weird little scenario... One of my closest friends had just gotten out of a kinda messy break up. He had the first verse of this song up on his away message for days after the break up... i guess just dealing with it. processing it. When I read over the lyrics, it seemed so perfect... this girl was horrible.
She was manipulative and dramatic.... so the part "for somebody's sake, please close your eyes woman, please get some sleep"
was kinda showing his frustration with her but at the same time, he loved her more than anything even for all that she was. It took him a long time to get over that girl... but he finally did. It just kinda had to happen... sometimes there is "no other way".