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."
I, I always thought that I knew
I'd always have the right to
Be living in the kingdom of the good and true
And so on
But now I think I was wrong
And you were laughing along
And now I look a fool for thinking you were on my side
[Chorus]
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Sometimes
It's hard to know where I stand
It's hard to know where I am
Well, maybe it's a puzzle I don't understand
Sometimes
I get the feeling that I'm
Stranded in the wrong time
Where love is just a lyric in a children's rhyme, a soundbite
[Chorus]
Oh, these days
After all the misery you made
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
Nothing left inside this old cathedral
Just the sad lonely spires
How do you make it right?
Oh, but you try
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Oh these days
After all the misery you made
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
I'd always have the right to
Be living in the kingdom of the good and true
And so on
But now I think I was wrong
And you were laughing along
And now I look a fool for thinking you were on my side
[Chorus]
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Sometimes
It's hard to know where I stand
It's hard to know where I am
Well, maybe it's a puzzle I don't understand
Sometimes
I get the feeling that I'm
Stranded in the wrong time
Where love is just a lyric in a children's rhyme, a soundbite
[Chorus]
Oh, these days
After all the misery you made
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
Nothing left inside this old cathedral
Just the sad lonely spires
How do you make it right?
Oh, but you try
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Oh these days
After all the misery you made
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
To me the most obvious interpretation, given the imagery used in the lyrics, is not political but religious. The mention of the "kingdom" and the empty cathedral setting, suggest the words are directed at God. It's like he's lost his faith, gone into a church and launched into a diatribe against God, accusing him of betraying his trust, and asking Him if he could have expected any different given all that's fucked up in the world. Religious overtones would fit perfectly with the U2 style as well. But whereas U2's view of religion tends to be positive, here Keane have twisted it around to a negative take, but whilst retaining the same sound. Quite clever really.
actually, its political. heres a quote from rolling stone:
While their debut featured the soaring, piano-driven ballad "Somewhere Only We Know," the new effort's "Strokes-y" first single, "Is It Any Wonder," deals with weightier stuff, inspired in part by England's involvement in the war in Iraq.
"It's probably the one song on the record that most expresses our dismay and confusion about what it means to be a British citizen, in terms of what our society's contributing to the world at large," Rice-Oxley explains. "It's very hard to make sense of why Britain feels it needs to sign up with George Bush's attacks on Iraq and the whole Afghanistan thing. It feels like there's a whole lot of trouble brewing up over Iran, and you just don't know where it's going to end. On a personal level, for people of our age, it's really unsettling."
Here's my thoughts:
1st verse: He's saying how he thought he had the right to be with a good, true person. Apparently this person was NOT good and true as he first thought, and now he feels like an idiot.
I'm also assuming the girl is NOW trying to fix things.
Chorus: He's asking if she's really surprised about how he feels. That he really doesn't know what to do. That he's afraid to let her in again because he's been betrayed and afraid of getting hurt.
Verse 2: He really doesn't know how he feels or what's going on with this girl. Maybe this is just a game to her and he doesn't even know. Sometimes he doubts love in general. Like he's stranded in a place where love doesn't actually exist "where love is just a lyric in a children's rhyme"
Bridge: I think the cathedral is like his heart. He's saying there's nothing left inside, just the spirals that hold it up. He doesn't know how to fix it...but she keeps trying. But he still doesn't know what to do.
Ahem, First entry ^^ !
I interpret this song the way that he's with a girl and he feels bored and doesn't know how to take back animosity in his relation.
Sounds like he's sort of explaining to her that he's like he is because of her - if that makes sense. Like she's been moaning at him for being like he is, when actually its her fault he's like that??? Not reallly sure - but just a guess.
to begin w/.. i like this new up-beat keane!!
lyrical-wise.. i feel like it connects to me. like he knew me nad wrote it 4 me!! (it's weird...) but apart from a relationship, what if he's talking about life?? its twists and turns (see MV) stressing us out (-"is it any wondor i feel tired...uptight...") and confusing us (- "i don't know what's right") and paranoid (-"afraid" "betrayed")??
interesting about the "lonely cathedral". does he find nothing in a church?? (like me?? and death cab 4 cutie's crooked teeth??)
strange ideas, i kno that's what i feel..... :)
o and "love is just a lyric in a children's rhyme" :D
I think this song is amazing. They sound a lot like U2. But that's not a bad thing. Are those... guitars I hear, Keane?
Oh, I also think that maybe the theme of this song was borne out of the conflicts between the band members while making this album. I read that they nearly broke up while making it, and maybe this song reflects the emotions they felt during that time.
i read it as... someone has done something to upset him (and now I look a fool for thinking you were on my side.), and now they seem to be surprised that hes upset/unsure of what to expect from the person/untrustworthy of what they say/they feel betrayed etc... (the "is it any wonder" bits)
Nothing left inside this old cathedral, just the sad lonely spires. How do you make it right?
that bit... im unsure how to read... maybe it the form relationship he had with the person.. but there isnt anything there... and... he doesnt know how to sort that.... maybe.... i am pretty lost on that bit
They DO sound a bit like U2 in this song, particularly the song Zoo Station. Maybe it's just me, but I like Keane with the addition of guitars.
well this song really is a great return for the 3 lads, very catchy, no suprise that it is the most played song on the radio these last few weeks!
also there are NO guitars in this song, just an amazing piece of effect work that keane love to put in!