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."
Well, Billy rapped all night about his suicide
How he'd kick it in the head when he was twenty-five
Speed jive, don't want to stay alive
When you're twenty-five
And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks & Sparks
And Freddy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face
Funky little boat race
Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks
Oh, man, I need TV when I've got T.Rex
Oh brother, you guessed
I'm a dude, dad
All the young dudes (hey dudes!)
Carry the news (where are you?)
Boogaloo dudes (stand up, come on)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear you)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to talk to you, all of you)
Carry the news (now)
Lucy looks sweet 'cause he dresses like a queen
But he can kick like a mule, it's a real mean team
But we can love
Oh yes, we can love
And my brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones
We never got it off on that revolution stuff
What a drag, too many snags
Now I've drunk a lot of wine and I'm feeling fine
Got to race some cat to bed
Oh, is that concrete all around
Or is it in my head?
Yeah
I'm a dude, dad
All the young dudes (hey dudes)
Carry the news (where are you?)
Boogaloo dudes (stand up)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear you)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to relate to you)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (what dudes?)
Carry the news (let's hear the news, come on)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to kick you)
Carry the news
(Hey, you there)
All the young dudes
(With the glasses)
Carry the news (I want you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want you in the front)
Carry the news (now)
(Now, you're his friends)
All the young dudes (now you bring him down)
('Cause I want him)
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes (I want him right here)
(Bring him, come on)
Carry the news (bring him)
(Here you go)
All the young dudes
(I've wanted to do this for years)
Carry the news
(There you go!)
Boogaloo dudes
(How'd it feel?)
Carry the news
How he'd kick it in the head when he was twenty-five
Speed jive, don't want to stay alive
When you're twenty-five
And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks & Sparks
And Freddy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face
Funky little boat race
Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks
Oh, man, I need TV when I've got T.Rex
Oh brother, you guessed
I'm a dude, dad
All the young dudes (hey dudes!)
Carry the news (where are you?)
Boogaloo dudes (stand up, come on)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear you)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to talk to you, all of you)
Carry the news (now)
Lucy looks sweet 'cause he dresses like a queen
But he can kick like a mule, it's a real mean team
But we can love
Oh yes, we can love
And my brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones
We never got it off on that revolution stuff
What a drag, too many snags
Now I've drunk a lot of wine and I'm feeling fine
Got to race some cat to bed
Oh, is that concrete all around
Or is it in my head?
Yeah
I'm a dude, dad
All the young dudes (hey dudes)
Carry the news (where are you?)
Boogaloo dudes (stand up)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear you)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to relate to you)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (what dudes?)
Carry the news (let's hear the news, come on)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to kick you)
Carry the news
(Hey, you there)
All the young dudes
(With the glasses)
Carry the news (I want you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want you in the front)
Carry the news (now)
(Now, you're his friends)
All the young dudes (now you bring him down)
('Cause I want him)
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes (I want him right here)
(Bring him, come on)
Carry the news (bring him)
(Here you go)
All the young dudes
(I've wanted to do this for years)
Carry the news
(There you go!)
Boogaloo dudes
(How'd it feel?)
Carry the news
Lyrics submitted by davmann, edited by jwdrummer, connortoomey
All The Young Dudes Lyrics as written by David Bowie
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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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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this is a great song, I use it as my song and im a chick...I think its about teens and how nobody trusts them cuz their "juvenile delinquent wrecks" and a little bit of gay or glam quotes... I love it, its my fave song.