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."
Dropkick Murphys - CAPTAIN KELLY'S KITCHEN (COURTIN' IN THE KITCHEN)
Come single guy and gal unto me pay attention
Don't ever fall in love
It's the devil's own invention
For once he fell in love with a maiden so bewitching
Miss Henrietta Bell down in Captain Kelly's kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
At the age of seventeen I apprenticed to a grocer
Not far from Stephen's Green
Where Miss Henri' used to go sir
Her manners were sublime she set my heart a-twitchin'
When she invited me to a party in the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
Sunday was the day that they were to have their flare-up
He dressed himself quite gay
I frizzed and oiled my hair up
The Captain had no wife and he had gone a-fishin'
She groped me on the stairs beneath the old man's kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
Her arms around my waist she slyly hinted marriage
When to the door in haste came Captain Kelly's carriage
Her eyes were full of hate and poison she was spittin'
The Captain kicked the door in and stormed into the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
When the Captain came downstairs he saw my situation
In spite of all his prayers he was marched off to the station
For him they'd take no bail
To get home I was itchin'
He had to tell the tale how I came into the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
I said she did invite me
But she gave flat denial
For assault she did indict me and I was sent for trial
She swore he'd robbed her house
In spite of all her screechin'
I got six months hard
For his courtin' in the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
Come single guy and gal unto me pay attention
Don't ever fall in love
It's the devil's own invention
For once he fell in love with a maiden so bewitching
Miss Henrietta Bell down in Captain Kelly's kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
At the age of seventeen I apprenticed to a grocer
Not far from Stephen's Green
Where Miss Henri' used to go sir
Her manners were sublime she set my heart a-twitchin'
When she invited me to a party in the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
Sunday was the day that they were to have their flare-up
He dressed himself quite gay
I frizzed and oiled my hair up
The Captain had no wife and he had gone a-fishin'
She groped me on the stairs beneath the old man's kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
Her arms around my waist she slyly hinted marriage
When to the door in haste came Captain Kelly's carriage
Her eyes were full of hate and poison she was spittin'
The Captain kicked the door in and stormed into the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
When the Captain came downstairs he saw my situation
In spite of all his prayers he was marched off to the station
For him they'd take no bail
To get home I was itchin'
He had to tell the tale how I came into the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
I said she did invite me
But she gave flat denial
For assault she did indict me and I was sent for trial
She swore he'd robbed her house
In spite of all her screechin'
I got six months hard
For his courtin' in the kitchen
CHORUS:
With me toora loora la, me toora loora laddie
Me toora loora la and me toora loora laddie
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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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
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.
O I Thougt it was mature allure Because the song is about him falling for a girl obviously older than him, and she's basicly seducing him