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 have your good clothes in the car
So cut your hair so no one knows
I have your dreams and your teeth marks
All my fingernails are painted
I'm here to take you now
You were right about the end
It didn't make a difference
Everything I can remember
I remember wrong
How can anybody know
How they got to be this way
You must have known I'd do this someday
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
I don't have any questions
I don't think it's gonna rain
You were right about the end
It didn't make a difference
I'm here to take you now
Out among the missing sons and daughters of the SoHo riots
Out among the missing sons and daughters of the SoHo riots
I'm here to take you now
How can anybody know
How they got to be this way
You must have known I'd do this someday
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
Break my arms around the one I love
So cut your hair so no one knows
I have your dreams and your teeth marks
All my fingernails are painted
I'm here to take you now
You were right about the end
It didn't make a difference
Everything I can remember
I remember wrong
How can anybody know
How they got to be this way
You must have known I'd do this someday
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
I don't have any questions
I don't think it's gonna rain
You were right about the end
It didn't make a difference
I'm here to take you now
Out among the missing sons and daughters of the SoHo riots
Out among the missing sons and daughters of the SoHo riots
I'm here to take you now
How can anybody know
How they got to be this way
You must have known I'd do this someday
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
Break my arms around the one I love
And be forgiven by the time my lover comes
Break my arms around my love
Break my arms around the one I love
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There were no SoHo riots, this happened in the late 80's though: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tompkins_Square_Park_Police_Riot Tompkins Square Park is juuust north of Houston Street which makes it not SoHo but very close. Wonder if this is what they're referring to. J shostakovich, i hope you get to visit SoHo soon, before it becomes completely starbucks-ed out!