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."
And the sky is falling upwards
On a summer desert night
While kids in school are forced to sing
The battle hymns just right
And the extras paid to get excited
On the TV screen
So doped up on diversion
That they don't know what it means
To be free to hate the ones you hate
Free to love the ones you love
Free to like the land you live on
Not the one who leads
All I'm sayin', dig the grave you lay in
After all, you make the call
Hang up before its too late
Make sure to give your full attention
Smile the best you can
Watch this hand give peace sign
While the other chokes a man
Cause he wants to love another man
They'll tell you that its bad
Cause some book that set the moral codes
Is glamorized in ads
And the back flipping, spike-haired preachers
Preaching through their headset mics
Saying God is the new Elvis and
He's gonna rock tonight
So just sip on that new energy drink
Although it tastes like shit
Cause a pretty t.v. couple
Says they can't live without it
On a summer desert night
While kids in school are forced to sing
The battle hymns just right
And the extras paid to get excited
On the TV screen
So doped up on diversion
That they don't know what it means
To be free to hate the ones you hate
Free to love the ones you love
Free to like the land you live on
Not the one who leads
All I'm sayin', dig the grave you lay in
After all, you make the call
Hang up before its too late
Make sure to give your full attention
Smile the best you can
Watch this hand give peace sign
While the other chokes a man
Cause he wants to love another man
They'll tell you that its bad
Cause some book that set the moral codes
Is glamorized in ads
And the back flipping, spike-haired preachers
Preaching through their headset mics
Saying God is the new Elvis and
He's gonna rock tonight
So just sip on that new energy drink
Although it tastes like shit
Cause a pretty t.v. couple
Says they can't live without it
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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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
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.
Most artists in genearl are liberal, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing (althought I'm more conservative), but Butch's views on pop culture and soceity in genearl come out in a tongue-in-cheek way in this song. =] The premise is that a lot of people act on how outside influences affect our lives, rather than just doing everything based on what we believe. Butch weighs in on the brevity of politics in everything we do, notably skewed views of teachers, preachers, and the media. It's basically saying be true to yourself, and don't change your views because you think they don't fit with everybody around you. Obviously the whole gay marraige controversy is touched on, which Buch is impartial and indifferent to. I don't necessarily agree with gay marraige or think it should be allowed, but if that's what people want, then it's going to happen, so I'm not closed minded about the situation at all. The song says to just live your life and not be concerned with events beyond your control, just like my example I just mentioned. Butch is just saying don't be a victim of sensationalism and just follow your heart.
Being true to yourself is one of the main aspects of this song, but I'm going to point out some of the others. He touches on hypocracy. "watch this hand give peace sign while the other chokes a man"
More than just being about the gay marriage issue, it's pointing out the hyporacy in some of the more, shall I say rabid, practictioners of Christianity, whom are supposed to love everyone.
Moreover, I think he might be annoyed with the way some preachers seem to try to make God and Religion "cool"... though if he's annoyed at the youth for not paying attention if it's not cool, or at the preachers for using such tactics, I couldn't say.
I'd also like to point out that this song especially points out how much Butch has grown as a songwriter. Letters is a good album, yes, but most of the content isn't very deep. Granted this song isn't a 42 or anything, it still shows some more depth than most stuff on the last CD.