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."
Holly wore a string around her finger
She said it helps her to remember all the nights that we got over
Besides, it ties her outfit all together
Holly wore a string around her finger
There are strings attached to every single lover
But they still can't even tether us together
Listen to the back of the theater, I think they really love one another
There are strings attached to every single lover
When they say great white sharks
They mean the kind in big black cars
When they say killer whales
They mean they whaled on him 'til they killed him up in Penetration Park
And Holly wore a cross to ward them off
She said if they think you're a Christian then they won't bring in the dogs
And if they think you're a Catholic then they'll want to meet your boss
Holly wore a cross to ward them off
Yeah, there's camps down by the banks of the river
And it's sketchy in the night but they mostly lay low in the light
Hey sweet recovery, come on, won't you wade into the water with me?
You know, there's camps down by the banks of the river
When they say black and tans
You know they mean the kind from the cans
We don't got time to mix it all together
I'm a very busy man, man
She said I dig those awkward silences
'Cause I grew up in denial and went to school in Massachusetts
And he said hi, I like to party on the problem blocks
And I can't stand it when the banging stops
I saw her at the party pit
Yeah, she was shaky but still trying to shake it
Half naked and three-quarters wasted
She was completely alone
And I saw him at the riverbank
He was breaking bread and giving thanks
With crosses made of pipes and planks
Leaned up against the nitrous tanks
And he said take a hit
Hold your breath and I'll dunk your head
Yeah, then when you wake up again
Yeah, you'll be high as hell and born again
Yeah, there's strings attached to every single lover
Well, there's strings attached to every single lover
She said it helps her to remember all the nights that we got over
Besides, it ties her outfit all together
Holly wore a string around her finger
There are strings attached to every single lover
But they still can't even tether us together
Listen to the back of the theater, I think they really love one another
There are strings attached to every single lover
When they say great white sharks
They mean the kind in big black cars
When they say killer whales
They mean they whaled on him 'til they killed him up in Penetration Park
And Holly wore a cross to ward them off
She said if they think you're a Christian then they won't bring in the dogs
And if they think you're a Catholic then they'll want to meet your boss
Holly wore a cross to ward them off
Yeah, there's camps down by the banks of the river
And it's sketchy in the night but they mostly lay low in the light
Hey sweet recovery, come on, won't you wade into the water with me?
You know, there's camps down by the banks of the river
When they say black and tans
You know they mean the kind from the cans
We don't got time to mix it all together
I'm a very busy man, man
She said I dig those awkward silences
'Cause I grew up in denial and went to school in Massachusetts
And he said hi, I like to party on the problem blocks
And I can't stand it when the banging stops
I saw her at the party pit
Yeah, she was shaky but still trying to shake it
Half naked and three-quarters wasted
She was completely alone
And I saw him at the riverbank
He was breaking bread and giving thanks
With crosses made of pipes and planks
Leaned up against the nitrous tanks
And he said take a hit
Hold your breath and I'll dunk your head
Yeah, then when you wake up again
Yeah, you'll be high as hell and born again
Yeah, there's strings attached to every single lover
Well, there's strings attached to every single lover
Lyrics submitted by iagoAdmirer, edited by rhysthuryn2003
Banging Camp Lyrics as written by Tad Jason Kubler Craig Finn
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i think the line is "he was breaking bread and giving danks" its an incredible line, fitting with the rest of the roman catholic story. I assume that breaking bread alludes to money (bread), and danks would be marijuana (specifically very good marijuana), so he's a dealer. Its funny because i live in minnesota, so a lot of this stuff i can relate to, especially the stuff about the river. He's talking about the mississippi river, which in st. paul and minnesota is just fucking trashed, and theres parties all along it every night. I definetely have lost a lot of nights down by the riverbanks, which makes me love this album so much more.
I grew up in denial. Now I go to Boston University. Fuck yeah
allofmylove is right. It is "danks" and not "thanks," which I never realized it until s/he pointed it out. It's just further word play illustrating the crucial link of drugs as a possible route to (at least temporary) salvation and redemption.
I absolutely love this song.
This and Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night are my favorites from this album.
I especially like the line about the Black and Tans just cuz where I come from Yuengling is popular and they make a Black and Tan product that's pretty good if yer fiendin' for a half and half and don't have the time or the materials to mix the beers.
It's better and more fun to make yer own though cuz you can keep the layers from mixing and you can use Guinness!
is "when they say great white sharks. they mean the kind in big black cars" a reference to the cocian trade?
I thought the "big black cars" bit was a reference to cops, but that does make more sense
Loring Park (Penetration Park) has had a history of prostitution. "Great White Sharks" is what people who live near the park call the John's that come to the area looking for a good time. Often times it was wealthy married men coming in from the suburbs date, looking for a "date". It's been a long time since I've hung out in the area but at least during the early to mid 90's it was very common if you were a guy in your 20's walking down a street near Loring Park to be slowly tailed by some expensive car while they tried to figure out if you were for sale. These cars would circle around the park like sharks looking for their victim so people living in the neighborhood started referring to them as such.
Killer Whales - Loring Park also sadly has been the scene of a number of hate crimes towards homosexuals including some beating deaths.