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."
Sweet like my tomato
Red cherry tomato
Down at the market pick out the ripe one
Tempting me sorely I want to bite one
Wait, save it for later
We had a good time at the beginning
It tasted just like all the things I was missing
I'll go at full boil 'til you stop stop stop stop me
Later
Stay and I will make you dinner
Taste, each dish will be better
After the first bite say it's delicious
But then appetite isn't what we'd predicted
Would you want to heat it up later?
We had a good time at the beginning
It tasted just like all the things I was missing
I'll go at full boil 'til you stop stop stop stop me
Later
Rollercoaster, want to go back to the way things were
I'm on the rollercoaster, want to get back on the Tilt-A-Whirl
I'll be your monkey, a puppy, your circus freak
Fell the first day, it took a whole week
Rollercoaster, can't we go back to the way things were?
Vertigo is the only clue
You're sick on me, I'm sick on you
Rollercoaster, want to back to the Tilt-A-Whirl
I'm dizzy and faithless, where is the ground?
You said this thing would not go upside down
Rollercoaster, want to get back to the way things were
All right...
Sweet you're my tomato
Red cherry tomato
I know that some of our days are bitter
Stay with me honey and things could be better
Wait, wait until later
We had a good time at the beginning
It tasted just like all the things I was missing
I'll go at full boil 'til you stop stop stop stop me
Later
Red cherry tomato
Down at the market pick out the ripe one
Tempting me sorely I want to bite one
Wait, save it for later
We had a good time at the beginning
It tasted just like all the things I was missing
I'll go at full boil 'til you stop stop stop stop me
Later
Stay and I will make you dinner
Taste, each dish will be better
After the first bite say it's delicious
But then appetite isn't what we'd predicted
Would you want to heat it up later?
We had a good time at the beginning
It tasted just like all the things I was missing
I'll go at full boil 'til you stop stop stop stop me
Later
Rollercoaster, want to go back to the way things were
I'm on the rollercoaster, want to get back on the Tilt-A-Whirl
I'll be your monkey, a puppy, your circus freak
Fell the first day, it took a whole week
Rollercoaster, can't we go back to the way things were?
Vertigo is the only clue
You're sick on me, I'm sick on you
Rollercoaster, want to back to the Tilt-A-Whirl
I'm dizzy and faithless, where is the ground?
You said this thing would not go upside down
Rollercoaster, want to get back to the way things were
All right...
Sweet you're my tomato
Red cherry tomato
I know that some of our days are bitter
Stay with me honey and things could be better
Wait, wait until later
We had a good time at the beginning
It tasted just like all the things I was missing
I'll go at full boil 'til you stop stop stop stop me
Later
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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,
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
i thought this song was just about a progression of a relationship for the worst. you wish you can go back, but things change "appetites" change... and then there really isn't any going back.