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."
Wise on a birthday party, in a world
Full of surprising fireworks and sudden silence. Shh...
Lies on a stranger's bed
The new day breaks like a speeding train
Or an old friend ever expected, but never knocking.
Holding your own in a battered car,
All night parties, cocktail bars
And smile when the butterfly escapes the killing jar.
Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Freefall on a windy morning shore
Nothing but a fading track of footsteps
To prove that you'd ever been there.
Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot
Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder.
Racing on a shining plain
Tomorrow you'll be content to watch as the lightning plays along the wires, and you'll wonder...
Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Full of surprising fireworks and sudden silence. Shh...
Lies on a stranger's bed
The new day breaks like a speeding train
Or an old friend ever expected, but never knocking.
Holding your own in a battered car,
All night parties, cocktail bars
And smile when the butterfly escapes the killing jar.
Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Freefall on a windy morning shore
Nothing but a fading track of footsteps
To prove that you'd ever been there.
Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot
Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder.
Racing on a shining plain
Tomorrow you'll be content to watch as the lightning plays along the wires, and you'll wonder...
Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Lyrics submitted by Canada
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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,
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Trouble Breathing
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
While the obvious connections with suicide or alcoholism could be drawn easily, more subtly this song could be about someone who views the world through a negative lens constantly and how as much as the writer tries to show the beauty in the world, this person refuses to see it. It's one or another between the rope and the bottle. There is no good option for this person. They can't see it. Skiba sings it in a kind of exasperated way like He's tired of hearing this negative view constantly and just allowing that person to continue feeling the way they feel knowing he can't do anything about it. You can hear it when he says maybe you're a vampire.
This is the best Duran Duran song, in my opinion. I think it's about the loss of innocence. That's what the chorus sounds like.
The first line seems to be about the mysteriousness of the world.
As for the line "And smile when the butterfly escapes the killing jar", that reminds me of paradise and trapped beauty.
"Freefall on a windy morning shore Nothing but a fading track of footsteps To prove that you'd ever been there. "
This seems to be about making your mark on the world.
"Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder. Racing on a shining plain Tomorrow you'll be content to watch as the lightning plays along the wires, and you'll wonder..."
This seems to be about karma.
To me, this Is & Always will be one of the best singls DD have ever done! :D This is what I believe this song is about: It's all about the "Astral Body" also known as the ability to leave one's Physical body. I believe that Simon may have learned how to actually channel his inner Sexual energies into Khundalini Yoga & Meditation beginning when he traveled to Isreal years ago before Duran Duran were what they are today. I think that Simon has worked on attempting to remember what he sees & experencies & this song is one of many singles that discribe his own personal mystical experiences via Yoga, & Meditation. This song is about one of his own personal Out Of Body Travels, of course this Is my own opinion, so I don't expect You to believe me. If you interested in learning more, Please feel free to do so. :D Here are a few example I've taken Out of Simon's lyrics: "the butterfly escapes the killing jar", this meaning his Astral (Spirit) Body Leaving his Physical Body.....& "Freefall on a windy morning shore. Nothing but a fading track of footsteps to prove that you'd ever been there. Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder." discribes Simon's Astral Travel across earth's land. The same can be said concerning the single, "Faster Then Light" which also discribes this Astral Flight theory. :D
Racing on a shining plain Tomorrow you'll be content to watch as the lightning plays along the wires, and you'll wonder...
I agree. It's arguably their best song - lyrically and musically. And quintesentially Duran. The Smiths, Echo and Bunnymen, and others were always lauded for their literary, beautiful lyrics, but Simon LeBon wrote some of the most memorable, brilliant lyrics in the 80s (not sure if this one is his lyric).
Not sure about the connection between Simon's time on the kibbutz and alternative spirituality / thought. Must not have been a normal kibbutz then. They are fairly socialist / Jewish. I know he had a separate interest in the mind-body theories.
In re-reading these lyrics, I noticed a suicidal, self-destructive dark streak - freefalling on the windy morning shore and the gunshot...
In re-reading these lyrics, I noticed a suicidal, self-destructive dark streak - freefalling on the windy morning shore and the gunshot...
In re-reading these lyrics, I noticed a suicidal, self-destructive dark streak - freefalling on the windy morning shore and the gunshot...
this song is beautiful, I only discovered it recently and I'm hooked on it
this has to be my all time fav song from DD, too bad it was only a B-side though.... In reading all the above descriptions i still cant make up my mind what its about! i just think its a beautiful song!
"It’s about escaping on yer birthday" according to Simon Le Bon via an Ask Katy question. and Simon's birthday is in October too!
Starting out with "wise on a birthday party" always led me to believe that someone's ruminating about the passage of time in their life. A person has been occupied with "all night parties, cocktail bars" but is a bit world weary now. The person is looking, intentionally or not, for new experiences to feel re-birthed. That old versus young feeling that he/she feels each birthday seems implied by being "wise or naked in secret Oktober." (Was there ever a special meaning behind the spelling "Oktober" versus "October", or is that just simply an alternate spelling?")