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."
I'm sorry I've been holding this is for way too long
No more excuses me's I must be moving on
They lead you to water and they force you to drink their blood
If you knew what was on your plate you'd be saying you've had enough
I want to live introvenously
I want it all figured out
Idependently wealthy sterile and healthy
But tonight we live like children of the sun/Free spirit my ass/Why can't you just let go?/I can't just see it I have to feel it
Oh don't you need it/When I am made of stone?
If you're sick of it all just sing a long
I tell you you're not the only one
Do you feel like you're losing touch?
Like you're so far from home
If you're sick of it all just lose control
Shut if off and let it go
You gotta bust out of your skin
I prescribe myself right out of this
It's keeping me alive
Suspended in solutions where I'm transcending time
I'm so sick and sick and tired of it all
It's eating my brain
You're only 18 years old
You've got grey hair your electric chair
It's fight or flight tonight/The lights move to fast/Sometimtes I can't hold on
I want to take the world on my shoulders to the heart of the combine/The heart of the combine yeah
If you're sick of it all just sing a long
I tell you you're not the only one
Do you feel like you're losing touch?
Like you're so far from home
If you're sick of it all just lose control
Shut if off and let it go
You gotta bust out of your skin
Who are my friends?
And who can I trust?
But you, you know me, you know when the hairs on your neck stand up let go!
Reality if killing us tonight
But I am uninspired by numbers
It's the saddest way to die
Reality if killing us tonight
But I am uninspired by numbers
It's the saddest way to die
Close your eyes and life is more beautiful to me
A little more like heaven to see
But what if I can't see anymore? But what if I can't see anymore?
No more excuses me's I must be moving on
They lead you to water and they force you to drink their blood
If you knew what was on your plate you'd be saying you've had enough
I want to live introvenously
I want it all figured out
Idependently wealthy sterile and healthy
But tonight we live like children of the sun/Free spirit my ass/Why can't you just let go?/I can't just see it I have to feel it
Oh don't you need it/When I am made of stone?
If you're sick of it all just sing a long
I tell you you're not the only one
Do you feel like you're losing touch?
Like you're so far from home
If you're sick of it all just lose control
Shut if off and let it go
You gotta bust out of your skin
I prescribe myself right out of this
It's keeping me alive
Suspended in solutions where I'm transcending time
I'm so sick and sick and tired of it all
It's eating my brain
You're only 18 years old
You've got grey hair your electric chair
It's fight or flight tonight/The lights move to fast/Sometimtes I can't hold on
I want to take the world on my shoulders to the heart of the combine/The heart of the combine yeah
If you're sick of it all just sing a long
I tell you you're not the only one
Do you feel like you're losing touch?
Like you're so far from home
If you're sick of it all just lose control
Shut if off and let it go
You gotta bust out of your skin
Who are my friends?
And who can I trust?
But you, you know me, you know when the hairs on your neck stand up let go!
Reality if killing us tonight
But I am uninspired by numbers
It's the saddest way to die
Reality if killing us tonight
But I am uninspired by numbers
It's the saddest way to die
Close your eyes and life is more beautiful to me
A little more like heaven to see
But what if I can't see anymore? But what if I can't see anymore?
Lyrics submitted by Blaupunked
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
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