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."
D.B. Cooper was 43 when we first heard his name
47 miles away from where he fell down to his fame
He told me that the hardest part
Wasn't really jumping out of that plane
It was spending the night
Watching those lights
Shine through the pouring rain
They had a manhunt that next morning
Like nothing I had ever seen
I was only eight years old at the time
Watching on the TV screen
They were saying he was never going to make it now
Now the daylight had set in
But later that night
They were shining lights
Down on the mountain again
Not far away from the City of Roses
They all watched those lights up through the rain
For D.B. Cooper
Well, the cops blocked off all the exit roads
And they turned out all of the hounds
They even dragged the river up a couple of times
To see if he had drowned
With all those men working overtime
They swore they would bring him down
But a parachute and a few hundred dollars
Was all that they ever found
Not far away from the City of Roses
They all watched those lights up through the rain
Now, some people say that he died up there
Somewhere in the rain in the wind
Other people say that he got away
But then his girlfriend did him in
The law men say if he is out there
Some day they're going to drag him in
But as for me, I hope they never see
D.B. Cooper again
Not far away from the City of Roses
Lights shine from a house out in the rain
It was D.B. Cooper
Drinking champagne
47 miles away from where he fell down to his fame
He told me that the hardest part
Wasn't really jumping out of that plane
It was spending the night
Watching those lights
Shine through the pouring rain
They had a manhunt that next morning
Like nothing I had ever seen
I was only eight years old at the time
Watching on the TV screen
They were saying he was never going to make it now
Now the daylight had set in
But later that night
They were shining lights
Down on the mountain again
Not far away from the City of Roses
They all watched those lights up through the rain
For D.B. Cooper
Well, the cops blocked off all the exit roads
And they turned out all of the hounds
They even dragged the river up a couple of times
To see if he had drowned
With all those men working overtime
They swore they would bring him down
But a parachute and a few hundred dollars
Was all that they ever found
Not far away from the City of Roses
They all watched those lights up through the rain
Now, some people say that he died up there
Somewhere in the rain in the wind
Other people say that he got away
But then his girlfriend did him in
The law men say if he is out there
Some day they're going to drag him in
But as for me, I hope they never see
D.B. Cooper again
Not far away from the City of Roses
Lights shine from a house out in the rain
It was D.B. Cooper
Drinking champagne
Lyrics submitted by UnpopularPoet
D.B. Cooper Lyrics as written by Todd Daniel Snider
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Quite obvious this tune is about D.B. Cooper... personally my favorite criminal of all time.
in 1971 he hijacked a 727, released the passengers, demanded $200,000 and 4 parachutes. When the plane took off again, he told the pilot to stay under 10,000 feet with the flaps at 15 degrees. He then proceeded to open the rear door of the plane and jump with the money somewhere near the Washington/Oregon border.
He was never found. Some of his money turned up in the early 80's along the banks of the Columbia river.