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."
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Bombs are falling,
the sky is dropping.
But everyone is Christmas shopping.
The world is ending,
but noone’s bending.
Everybody’s sticking to their guns.
It’s gonna be another one,
for the books
another one for the news.
One for the boys and girls,
learning in the schools.
Damn it’s fun to be at war.
Cause everybody knows what we’re fighting for.
Here comes the raid.
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Being strongest makes us wisest.
Surely you must realize it.
It’s decided, we are righteous.
It is pointless to defy us.
We
we’re gonna make you bleed
in your houses
and bleed on the street.
Bleed from your eyes
and bleed from your feet.
Sorry we don’t mean to offend,
but once blood is drawn,
we must avenge.
Bombs are on the way.
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Please come and help us,
we’ve gotta a needing of a major big plan.
Revenge is a policy,
we’ve got a crater that’s filled with the dead.
Peace is a process,
we don’t seem to need her, nobody can stop us.
And war and retribution,
are two of the most honest human constitutions.
(It’s nothing personal but...)
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Bombs are falling,
the sky is dropping.
But everyone is Christmas shopping.
The world is ending,
but noone’s bending.
The blood we spill is never ending.
Being strongest makes us wisest.
Surely you must realize it.
It’s decided, we are righteous.
It is pointless to defy us.
We
we’re gonna make you bleed.
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Bombs are falling,
the sky is dropping.
But everyone is Christmas shopping.
The world is ending,
but noone’s bending.
Everybody’s sticking to their guns.
It’s gonna be another one,
for the books
another one for the news.
One for the boys and girls,
learning in the schools.
Damn it’s fun to be at war.
Cause everybody knows what we’re fighting for.
Here comes the raid.
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Being strongest makes us wisest.
Surely you must realize it.
It’s decided, we are righteous.
It is pointless to defy us.
We
we’re gonna make you bleed
in your houses
and bleed on the street.
Bleed from your eyes
and bleed from your feet.
Sorry we don’t mean to offend,
but once blood is drawn,
we must avenge.
Bombs are on the way.
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Please come and help us,
we’ve gotta a needing of a major big plan.
Revenge is a policy,
we’ve got a crater that’s filled with the dead.
Peace is a process,
we don’t seem to need her, nobody can stop us.
And war and retribution,
are two of the most honest human constitutions.
(It’s nothing personal but...)
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you
We’re gonna get you.
Bombs are falling,
the sky is dropping.
But everyone is Christmas shopping.
The world is ending,
but noone’s bending.
The blood we spill is never ending.
Being strongest makes us wisest.
Surely you must realize it.
It’s decided, we are righteous.
It is pointless to defy us.
We
we’re gonna make you bleed.
Lyrics submitted by Corr_i
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.