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."
Nothing like this, felt in her kiss
Cannot resist her
Fell for her charm, lost in her arms
I keep a photograph
Give me a glimpse, let me come in
Be there inside her
Here it begins, here is the sin
Something to lie about
You think you're smart, I think you art
We agree on this
It doesn't work, feeling like dirt
Feeling like you don't care
We get a room and in her gloom
She lights a cigarette
Clothes on the bed, "love me", she said
I lose myself to her
I'm getting feelings I'm hiding too well
(Bury the heart-shaped shell)
Something broke inside my stomach
I let the pieces lie just where they fell
(Being with you is hell)
Hair blown in an open car
Summer dress slips down her arm
Hair blown in an open car
Okay, what's next after the sex?
What do we do now?
Finding the time, drawing the line
And never crossing it
Gave her the hours, gave her the power
Cannot erase her
Gave her the truth, gave her the proof
I gave her everything
I'm getting feelings I'm hiding too well
(I hide the feelings far too well) (bury the heart-shaped shell)
Something broke inside my stomach
I let the pieces lie just where they fell
(I left the pieces where they fell) (being with you is hell)
Hair blown in an open car
Summer dress slips down her arm
Hair blown in an open car
On a drive out to the farm
Hair blown in an open car
Hair blown in an open car
Summer dress slips down your arm
Hair blown in an open car
Cannot resist her
Fell for her charm, lost in her arms
I keep a photograph
Give me a glimpse, let me come in
Be there inside her
Here it begins, here is the sin
Something to lie about
You think you're smart, I think you art
We agree on this
It doesn't work, feeling like dirt
Feeling like you don't care
We get a room and in her gloom
She lights a cigarette
Clothes on the bed, "love me", she said
I lose myself to her
I'm getting feelings I'm hiding too well
(Bury the heart-shaped shell)
Something broke inside my stomach
I let the pieces lie just where they fell
(Being with you is hell)
Hair blown in an open car
Summer dress slips down her arm
Hair blown in an open car
Okay, what's next after the sex?
What do we do now?
Finding the time, drawing the line
And never crossing it
Gave her the hours, gave her the power
Cannot erase her
Gave her the truth, gave her the proof
I gave her everything
I'm getting feelings I'm hiding too well
(I hide the feelings far too well) (bury the heart-shaped shell)
Something broke inside my stomach
I let the pieces lie just where they fell
(I left the pieces where they fell) (being with you is hell)
Hair blown in an open car
Summer dress slips down her arm
Hair blown in an open car
On a drive out to the farm
Hair blown in an open car
Hair blown in an open car
Summer dress slips down your arm
Hair blown in an open car
Lyrics submitted by Idan, edited by Progfan_r, themadcap0, marktheshart
Open Car Lyrics as written by Gavin Richard Harrison Colin Edwin Balch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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,
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
sounds like he wanted to have sex with this woman, then he had sex with this woman, and then afterward he felt awkward. that part is obvious. it also seems he already had a lover and now he has to hide this affair from her ("something to lie about, getting feelings i'm hiding too well"). after lying to his lover about the affair ("buried a heart shaped shell") he couldn't stand keeping this secret any longer ("something broke inside my stomach") so he told his lover about his affair and didn't care about the outcome after he admitted his sin (i let the pieces lie just where they fell"). i have no clue what the reference to the open car means though, someone please tell me!
Well, your interpretation fits very well, although I think a little bit different about it.<br /> <br /> I guess the "Open Car" part, he is remembering when things weren't this complicated, and they (him and his to-be lover) were just enjoying a really nice ride, you know? Like, I always thought of this like they having a really nice time together, maybe they weren't even lovers by then, and this, awakened an atraction between them, you know, two good looking people, having a great time, big smile on their faces, you know, things just... sort of happen.<br /> (Hair blown in an open car)<br /> <br /> And then, the sex part, he undresses her, they're about to do it.<br /> (Summer dress slips down her arm)
Some of the lyrics are wrong. The correct ones are: "You think you're smart, I think you're art, We agree on this"
If you listen to any of the other songs, he obviously loves this girl who doesn't love him back. She just uses him.
Tbrings: It's only obvious if you're a retard.
This song is just about empty, emotionless sex. I'm sure we can all identify with it to some degree or another :(
How come no one mentions the screenplay by Steven Wilson and Mike Bennion? If any of you looked at the album from a filmmaker's point of view, all of the songs would make a hell of a lot more sense.
really dude... this doesnt point to incest at all.. just sex and feeling bad about it... sounds to me like the subject giving into lust and cheating
the open car, i figured mean a convertable car with the top down.
Tbrings90 needs to just sit down with his sister, and a counselor, and have a nice loooong talk.
This song is about feeling bad. And there you had it.
is about lust, and the emptiness after being seduced for that feeling
I think it is about an affair. That sounds like a good assumption. Open Car to me sounds like a reference to the affair where the woman is just a temporary passenger that sort of hopped in and could just as easily leave like that. Probably a stretch though.
i agree with ya GroovyJude.. i know i identify with it in a way.