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."
seems like its been days and nothings left for me
right now
i can walk around and see between the trees
oh how
see thats not the way i want it
well now
i will see if you will be and we can call if its me
right now
its never really gonna be that much better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
we can try and we can see to make it all better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause i say so wow
seems like its been years and nothings left but me
right now
i can rescue you and you can rescue me
right now
see thats just the way i want it
well now
you will be and i will be cause we can call if its me
right now
its never really gonna be that much better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
we can try and we can see to make it all better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
and i can see and you can see that we can make it better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause its never really gonna be that much better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
even when the moneys gone
i want to
i might just come back as stone
and hold on to nothing
even when the moneys gone
i want to
i might just come back as stone
and hold on to nothing
***** **** (my guess is that stands for pilot park)
cold winter stands
away from my heart
shining the wheels
wind up at the start
lets have the race
ill win for sure
go grab your cane
and wait at the door
its a hard show
15 milues down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey yeah
why dont we run
down to pilot park
play in the shade
afraid of the dark
switching my turns
you know you make me so free
cut off my shoes
ill stand on my kneeds
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey yeah yeah
dont you ever take the ones you love
dont you ever take the ones you love
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey
its a hard show
hey hey yeah
right now
i can walk around and see between the trees
oh how
see thats not the way i want it
well now
i will see if you will be and we can call if its me
right now
its never really gonna be that much better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
we can try and we can see to make it all better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause i say so wow
seems like its been years and nothings left but me
right now
i can rescue you and you can rescue me
right now
see thats just the way i want it
well now
you will be and i will be cause we can call if its me
right now
its never really gonna be that much better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
we can try and we can see to make it all better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
and i can see and you can see that we can make it better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause its never really gonna be that much better
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
cause i say so wow
cause i say so
even when the moneys gone
i want to
i might just come back as stone
and hold on to nothing
even when the moneys gone
i want to
i might just come back as stone
and hold on to nothing
***** **** (my guess is that stands for pilot park)
cold winter stands
away from my heart
shining the wheels
wind up at the start
lets have the race
ill win for sure
go grab your cane
and wait at the door
its a hard show
15 milues down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey yeah
why dont we run
down to pilot park
play in the shade
afraid of the dark
switching my turns
you know you make me so free
cut off my shoes
ill stand on my kneeds
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey yeah yeah
dont you ever take the ones you love
dont you ever take the ones you love
its a hard show
15 miles down under
its a hard show
hey hey hey
its a hard show
hey hey yeah
Lyrics submitted by Tomlle
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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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Head > Heels
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