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."
Such derision when you fled
They bruised your lank shins while you were down
Some kicked the crutches from under your arms
You are one sorry story
A lost cause from conceivment
Still I like you and your thinking mind
And it's like a good book reads.
Always question your country
There's knives in their blue eyes
So read up and turn off the telly
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
You then displaced to Paris
Claiming your extra baggage
Mashing the fancy of your relatives
Nothing but tactfulness and peace
Outdoor resturants and coffee
Books under your arms insted of crutches.
And it's like a good book reads.
Always question your country
There's knives in their blue eyes
So read up and turn off the telly
I said read up turn off the telly
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
The bombs ring
We all sing, "freedom at last!"
The bombs ring
Children scream
Freedom at Last!
The bombs ring
We all sing, "freedom at last!"
The bombs ring
Freedom at last
And say that you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
They bruised your lank shins while you were down
Some kicked the crutches from under your arms
You are one sorry story
A lost cause from conceivment
Still I like you and your thinking mind
And it's like a good book reads.
Always question your country
There's knives in their blue eyes
So read up and turn off the telly
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
You then displaced to Paris
Claiming your extra baggage
Mashing the fancy of your relatives
Nothing but tactfulness and peace
Outdoor resturants and coffee
Books under your arms insted of crutches.
And it's like a good book reads.
Always question your country
There's knives in their blue eyes
So read up and turn off the telly
I said read up turn off the telly
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
The bombs ring
We all sing, "freedom at last!"
The bombs ring
Children scream
Freedom at Last!
The bombs ring
We all sing, "freedom at last!"
The bombs ring
Freedom at last
And say that you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name
And say you do
Say you love us like I know you will
And that our deaths won't be in vain
Or in the name of gasoline
Lyrics submitted by Pain In The A$$
Heaven Runs on Oil Lyrics as written by Brandon Reilly
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
it's about bush, and how our deaths are in vain because they are in the name of gasoline.
the song is a just a very small portion of the whole bush adminsitration problem, but a good song none the less.
A disillusioned culture that begs for the approval of a craptastical administration.
I start to get the feeling that the call in this song is Brandon's opinion that our only apparent options are to look for approval from superiors or get out of the country. The sarcastic take on this seems to whisper rebellion in the ears of anyone who listens closely to the lyrics.
there's a c c o r d i a n in it, if i'm not mistaken. . .
good song
Lovely. Especially since in one of my political rants I ended up practically quoting them. Essentially Oil -> War -> Death. This song makes me happy.
amazing song. I can't stop singing to this song. I saw them in london and i want them to come back :)
If I'm not mistaken, this song also has a lot to do with World War I. The second verse sounds like a reference to the Lost Generation, and "there's knives in their blue eyes" could be talking about the Europeans involved in the war.
Nightmare of You is known to put small references or shoutouts to singers they like. In this song, the bombs ring part sounds just like where are you in morrisseys pashernate love. another nightmare of you song has the same exact lyrics as part of a magnetic fields song. something to be looked into.
I was thinking it could be about the soldiers as well
And I wonder if the references to Paris have anything to do with Frances' initial criticism of the USA when going to war