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."
Ain't no seams on the piece
Sheesh
You redeem what you reap
I can choose when I speak
Ain't no seams on the piece
Sheesh
You redeem what you reap
Steep
Sipping tea, giving heat
Stronger than my partners
Not a feeble grunt
Not to lead them on
I don't need to con
I got p's to flaunt
Got to see the sun
I don't even run
Anymore
Trees to run
I got trees to run
I got beats to offer geeks
But they only want one thing
Always bring
Don't even bring it up
I'll get you what you want
Then beat it son
I've seen enough
I don't want Franklin's
To be frank I wanna win
I don't make you wanna
Hum
I just make you wince
I'll give you for instance
Existing as myself
You wish I was someone else
To put upon your shelf
You should be ashamed
Because I'm really playing
And you don't even play
The verses that I say
That worsens all the pain
You jerks are all insane
We don't learn things the same
Reverse the pane
It works to change perspective
Perfect aim progression
Smirk angry obsession
Clerk take my concession
I know they cost 11.75
So don't even mess him
Cursed to blurt out the hurt in my chest then
Bursting right out on my shirt to depress them
Birth to lie, on this earth I'm the best man
You hurting my eyes and you need a breath mint
Now that you peeped the message
Seek some acceptance
In the dead wreckage
Read the deed
Now it's my possession
Off the E
You're a childish professional
Best to peace spud
Irish vegetable
They're weak
And I'm delectable
That speech of mine incredible
Ain't no seams on the piece
Sheesh
You redeem what you reap
Steep
Sipping tea, giving heat
Geeked
I can choose when I speak
This a thought piece
Bubble off me
This along street
Y'all be off-beat
I'mma alter autumn if you cross me
Can't believe we caught 'em
Pokeball feats
See 'em washed up
This the wrong beach
Get em off me
As I'm activated
You elapsed and faded
I need practice daily
So I pass the playlist
Rapping Caviar
Got em packing lately
I'm the blackest baby
Fist up
I'm acting out for lack of payment
We need maturation
Honorable for it
LeBron focused
This all motive
The God opus
This all molded
My arm throwing
And long flowing
My jaws holding
It's automatic
Finna glow at it
Fuck yo Patek
Always go at it
Call me flow addict
Finna go up
Nigga no attic
Back on it
There's no overlapping
We ain't matching flavors
Ain't no daps or favors
Think the beats get catered
I'm a motivator
You a hater
Say you gon' go up
If you gon' show off
Don't show up
Raps on me
I'm guiding Noah
Happily
I'm finna flow up
Know what?
Apathy
I can give no fuck
Mad at me?
Nigga, go po' up
Juking like Madden be
Niggas catastrophes
Don't want a addy, B
Sober, I'm glad to be
This what it had to be
Really getting peace
Northeast
Out to East France
I enjoyed Nice
Niggas ploys be
They enjoy me
But don't know a song
Shit annoy
I collab with real
Niggas geese to me
You ain't really flocking
Just the Kodak beat
I'mma seek the sheet
Writing heat to peak
Shit a shirt to you
It's a piece to me
Sheesh
You redeem what you reap
I can choose when I speak
Ain't no seams on the piece
Sheesh
You redeem what you reap
Steep
Sipping tea, giving heat
Stronger than my partners
Not a feeble grunt
Not to lead them on
I don't need to con
I got p's to flaunt
Got to see the sun
I don't even run
Anymore
Trees to run
I got trees to run
I got beats to offer geeks
But they only want one thing
Always bring
Don't even bring it up
I'll get you what you want
Then beat it son
I've seen enough
I don't want Franklin's
To be frank I wanna win
I don't make you wanna
Hum
I just make you wince
I'll give you for instance
Existing as myself
You wish I was someone else
To put upon your shelf
You should be ashamed
Because I'm really playing
And you don't even play
The verses that I say
That worsens all the pain
You jerks are all insane
We don't learn things the same
Reverse the pane
It works to change perspective
Perfect aim progression
Smirk angry obsession
Clerk take my concession
I know they cost 11.75
So don't even mess him
Cursed to blurt out the hurt in my chest then
Bursting right out on my shirt to depress them
Birth to lie, on this earth I'm the best man
You hurting my eyes and you need a breath mint
Now that you peeped the message
Seek some acceptance
In the dead wreckage
Read the deed
Now it's my possession
Off the E
You're a childish professional
Best to peace spud
Irish vegetable
They're weak
And I'm delectable
That speech of mine incredible
Ain't no seams on the piece
Sheesh
You redeem what you reap
Steep
Sipping tea, giving heat
Geeked
I can choose when I speak
This a thought piece
Bubble off me
This along street
Y'all be off-beat
I'mma alter autumn if you cross me
Can't believe we caught 'em
Pokeball feats
See 'em washed up
This the wrong beach
Get em off me
As I'm activated
You elapsed and faded
I need practice daily
So I pass the playlist
Rapping Caviar
Got em packing lately
I'm the blackest baby
Fist up
I'm acting out for lack of payment
We need maturation
Honorable for it
LeBron focused
This all motive
The God opus
This all molded
My arm throwing
And long flowing
My jaws holding
It's automatic
Finna glow at it
Fuck yo Patek
Always go at it
Call me flow addict
Finna go up
Nigga no attic
Back on it
There's no overlapping
We ain't matching flavors
Ain't no daps or favors
Think the beats get catered
I'm a motivator
You a hater
Say you gon' go up
If you gon' show off
Don't show up
Raps on me
I'm guiding Noah
Happily
I'm finna flow up
Know what?
Apathy
I can give no fuck
Mad at me?
Nigga, go po' up
Juking like Madden be
Niggas catastrophes
Don't want a addy, B
Sober, I'm glad to be
This what it had to be
Really getting peace
Northeast
Out to East France
I enjoyed Nice
Niggas ploys be
They enjoy me
But don't know a song
Shit annoy
I collab with real
Niggas geese to me
You ain't really flocking
Just the Kodak beat
I'mma seek the sheet
Writing heat to peak
Shit a shirt to you
It's a piece to me
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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,
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
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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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.