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."
Hey,
In the life of the wrong, love lingers on, love lingered on to frustration
And if our love is so wrong, what should we do alone?
Or am I just a picture in a photograph?
Why are we stuck in this pantomime, fearing a god who died
One who would not deny lovers?
And I don't care what they say, if what you need is your faith,
Then take a look at my face and know…
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Find in me room to breathe, simple things like suffering
Life has gone this way
Life has gone this way
Still in the life of the wrong have we moved along
Another life evolved to gestation
So we made our way with the mistakes we made
But she was just a picture in the photographs
So she walked in the baby's room
Knowing what she would do left me in absolute horror
She put her hand on its lips and gave it one last kiss
And sang some tune that went…
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Find in me room to breathe,
Simple things like suffering
Yes I would, and I would destroy your god
Yes I would, if I could destroy your god
Because you're born again
Until you're worn again
And still your rapture falls to pieces
Will your rapture fall to pieces?
Find in me room to breathe
Sinful things are suffering
But, if this must be, then burden with me
Anything
Just don't leave…
Find in me…Room to breathe…Enmity…Suffering
She swore she heard the voice of Jesus
Telling her “it was wrong to keep it”
And one more thing, it looked like me
Back when it breathed…Rest in peace
Until the rapture comes to meet us
In the life of the wrong, love lingers on, love lingered on to frustration
And if our love is so wrong, what should we do alone?
Or am I just a picture in a photograph?
Why are we stuck in this pantomime, fearing a god who died
One who would not deny lovers?
And I don't care what they say, if what you need is your faith,
Then take a look at my face and know…
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Find in me room to breathe, simple things like suffering
Life has gone this way
Life has gone this way
Still in the life of the wrong have we moved along
Another life evolved to gestation
So we made our way with the mistakes we made
But she was just a picture in the photographs
So she walked in the baby's room
Knowing what she would do left me in absolute horror
She put her hand on its lips and gave it one last kiss
And sang some tune that went…
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Until your rapture falls to pieces
Find in me room to breathe,
Simple things like suffering
Yes I would, and I would destroy your god
Yes I would, if I could destroy your god
Because you're born again
Until you're worn again
And still your rapture falls to pieces
Will your rapture fall to pieces?
Find in me room to breathe
Sinful things are suffering
But, if this must be, then burden with me
Anything
Just don't leave…
Find in me…Room to breathe…Enmity…Suffering
She swore she heard the voice of Jesus
Telling her “it was wrong to keep it”
And one more thing, it looked like me
Back when it breathed…Rest in peace
Until the rapture comes to meet us
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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.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
song is awsome i like the acoustic version