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."
now I don't know if I'll see her again
if she'll come back as a woman
or if she'll decide to remain a man
now it's dangerous to give in
to the skin and to the flesh
but I do have a longing that hasn't been filled
and I can feel it coming round again
oh Candy, oh Candy, what have you done?
you have taken the riches I had just begun
but your face in the mirror
is not much more clear
than the last impression
take these stitches from my eyes
take me out of this lonely guise
and show me what it means to become someone else
and break these bodily chains
for I feel that I've had a disease
ever since the day I was born
and that somehow you have the cure in your pretty hair
now I do not worship in a building
and I have no need for a love without smoke without sin,
and without passion
oh Candy, oh Candy, what have you done?
you have taken the riches I had just begun
but now I would be content to roam
in your vocal storm
if she'll come back as a woman
or if she'll decide to remain a man
now it's dangerous to give in
to the skin and to the flesh
but I do have a longing that hasn't been filled
and I can feel it coming round again
oh Candy, oh Candy, what have you done?
you have taken the riches I had just begun
but your face in the mirror
is not much more clear
than the last impression
take these stitches from my eyes
take me out of this lonely guise
and show me what it means to become someone else
and break these bodily chains
for I feel that I've had a disease
ever since the day I was born
and that somehow you have the cure in your pretty hair
now I do not worship in a building
and I have no need for a love without smoke without sin,
and without passion
oh Candy, oh Candy, what have you done?
you have taken the riches I had just begun
but now I would be content to roam
in your vocal storm
Lyrics submitted by delial
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More Featured Meanings
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
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