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."
Watch me appear on the field, my mission is to chill
I'n'i think 'bout the vibes and about the dollar bill
Been busy on my rhymes, put some on a layaway
What makes me happy like Caribbean carnival on Labour day
I love my mama, the hip hop shit, we kick it thick
And if you trip, you jealous motherfuckers get the dick
'Cause now we kick in the door, you never heard it before
Raw battle reports is what ambassadors stand for
We making rhymes not war, droppin' lines but don't sniff 'em
I'm chillin' with my man Max and Sekou with the spliff an'
Reminiscin' about the time the Phlow used to rock
But '98 it's Mellowbag and Freundeskreis to tie the knot
Blowin' the spot, what, makin' hip-hop what it is
First's supposed to be the fun then later comes the biz
That's what it is when we droppin' part two
It's undisputed rebel troops achieving victories for you
Yes for you and your people, queens and not cheap ho's
Commons not Deebos, true friends and not the fake bro's
In it for the love what is dividing us from many
Breaking thru like Shaka Zulu for the heart and not the money
What dem wann do for stoppin' you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel will come through
What dem wann do for stop you
When you're under your meditation and look through
We kick that progress report consort to make it happen
Set up forts in foreign lands expand for everlasting
The fam span across the atlas like Diasporas
Escape from out the grasp out the most wickedest captors
Hear the laughter of the Czars in the dark like Nabokow
Rebellion coup d'Etat, shit is raw, cut they heads off
Those who were lost, floss now living lavish
Destination be the pastures of the city of Nazareth
Catalyst the revolution, move the troops from out pollution
Mobutu citizens get the boot right in they asses
Ambassador status bring the loot back to the masses
Who live like hostages, the system be abusive like the music business is
We exist in the abyss but images be marvelous like novelists
Picture this like hieroglyphics on the finest papyrus
The world is ours but it's devoured by the hour
Spread the scripture like Egyptians while the wicked spread the virus
Through the lies I realize the righteous bare my likeness
But they spite us so let the weak recite this
Sow my seed amongst the captives let the fleet complete the cipher
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel will come through
What dem wann do for stop you
You're under your meditation and look through
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel come through
What dem wann do for stop you
You could never, ever out the fire we are walk through
Auf dem Kilimandscharo des Rapszenarios
Spielen wir das Business wie Supermario
Ob Popcenturios in HipHop Studios, was
FK is' furios wie Julio Iglesias
Ich ritt den trojanischen Gaul im Blendwerk der Hölle
Sah die Fäulnis des Biz, blieb im Sattel wie Paul Schockemöhle
Ihr nehmt Rap wie Öde-Pus-sis
Ich mahn' Plattenmultis wie Mullahs Rushdie
Im Jahr 20 nach Guevara brach es aus uns raus wie Lava
Wir nahmen uns Land wie der Sand in der Sahara
Mach' Tabula Rasa wie Kabila in Kinshasa
Mobutu MCs fliegt zum Mars wie die Nasa
Euer erster Gehversuch war 'ne Bruchlandung
Jetzt holt ihr euch ein Reimebuch aus der Buchhandlung
Der Freundeskreis reist und bringt den Virus wie Fernfahrer
Immer wenn es regnet zählen wir Sterntaler
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel will come through
What dem wann do for stop you
You could never, ever out the fire we are walk through
What dem wann do for stop you
You're under your meditation and look through
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel come through
I'n'i think 'bout the vibes and about the dollar bill
Been busy on my rhymes, put some on a layaway
What makes me happy like Caribbean carnival on Labour day
I love my mama, the hip hop shit, we kick it thick
And if you trip, you jealous motherfuckers get the dick
'Cause now we kick in the door, you never heard it before
Raw battle reports is what ambassadors stand for
We making rhymes not war, droppin' lines but don't sniff 'em
I'm chillin' with my man Max and Sekou with the spliff an'
Reminiscin' about the time the Phlow used to rock
But '98 it's Mellowbag and Freundeskreis to tie the knot
Blowin' the spot, what, makin' hip-hop what it is
First's supposed to be the fun then later comes the biz
That's what it is when we droppin' part two
It's undisputed rebel troops achieving victories for you
Yes for you and your people, queens and not cheap ho's
Commons not Deebos, true friends and not the fake bro's
In it for the love what is dividing us from many
Breaking thru like Shaka Zulu for the heart and not the money
What dem wann do for stoppin' you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel will come through
What dem wann do for stop you
When you're under your meditation and look through
We kick that progress report consort to make it happen
Set up forts in foreign lands expand for everlasting
The fam span across the atlas like Diasporas
Escape from out the grasp out the most wickedest captors
Hear the laughter of the Czars in the dark like Nabokow
Rebellion coup d'Etat, shit is raw, cut they heads off
Those who were lost, floss now living lavish
Destination be the pastures of the city of Nazareth
Catalyst the revolution, move the troops from out pollution
Mobutu citizens get the boot right in they asses
Ambassador status bring the loot back to the masses
Who live like hostages, the system be abusive like the music business is
We exist in the abyss but images be marvelous like novelists
Picture this like hieroglyphics on the finest papyrus
The world is ours but it's devoured by the hour
Spread the scripture like Egyptians while the wicked spread the virus
Through the lies I realize the righteous bare my likeness
But they spite us so let the weak recite this
Sow my seed amongst the captives let the fleet complete the cipher
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel will come through
What dem wann do for stop you
You're under your meditation and look through
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel come through
What dem wann do for stop you
You could never, ever out the fire we are walk through
Auf dem Kilimandscharo des Rapszenarios
Spielen wir das Business wie Supermario
Ob Popcenturios in HipHop Studios, was
FK is' furios wie Julio Iglesias
Ich ritt den trojanischen Gaul im Blendwerk der Hölle
Sah die Fäulnis des Biz, blieb im Sattel wie Paul Schockemöhle
Ihr nehmt Rap wie Öde-Pus-sis
Ich mahn' Plattenmultis wie Mullahs Rushdie
Im Jahr 20 nach Guevara brach es aus uns raus wie Lava
Wir nahmen uns Land wie der Sand in der Sahara
Mach' Tabula Rasa wie Kabila in Kinshasa
Mobutu MCs fliegt zum Mars wie die Nasa
Euer erster Gehversuch war 'ne Bruchlandung
Jetzt holt ihr euch ein Reimebuch aus der Buchhandlung
Der Freundeskreis reist und bringt den Virus wie Fernfahrer
Immer wenn es regnet zählen wir Sterntaler
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel will come through
What dem wann do for stop you
You could never, ever out the fire we are walk through
What dem wann do for stop you
You're under your meditation and look through
What dem wann do for stop you
Mephisto can't strike we down
The rebel come through
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More Featured Meanings
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,
Blue
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