In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Bad day, looking for a way home
Looking for the great escape
Gets in his car and drives away
Far from all the things that we are
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
And breathes it out, he says
Bye bye, bye to all of the noise
Oh, he says, Bye bye
Bye to all of the noise
Hey child, things are looking down
That’s OK, you don’t need to win anyways
Don’t be afraid, just eat up all the grey
And it will fade all away
Don’t let yourself fall down
Bad day
Looking for the great escape
He says, bad day
Looking for the great escape
On a bad day
Looking for the great escape
The great escape
Looking for the great escape
Gets in his car and drives away
Far from all the things that we are
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
And breathes it out, he says
Bye bye, bye to all of the noise
Oh, he says, Bye bye
Bye to all of the noise
Hey child, things are looking down
That’s OK, you don’t need to win anyways
Don’t be afraid, just eat up all the grey
And it will fade all away
Don’t let yourself fall down
Bad day
Looking for the great escape
He says, bad day
Looking for the great escape
On a bad day
Looking for the great escape
The great escape
Lyrics submitted by vegtabletarian, edited by adngai, Ajensis
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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."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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Great version of a great song,
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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.
It's not about suicide!!
It's about embracing sadness when your down, and accepting that things can't always be good, which provides one with comfort.
So many people fantasise that they can just get up and leave all the things that bring them down, just get up, leave their job that stresses them, leave a bad relationship, leave a humiliating situation.. but this has consequences..
'puts on a smile and breathes it in and breathes it out again' can mean that he's supressing sadness infront of people, and has a smile on his face but is fighting away his tears from his heavy heart,
or that he is making the 'great escape' and leaving everything behind, because he just can't take the negative things anymore, but he knows he will struggle to leave the good things behind too. He is smiling but he knows this isn't the best option, or that he feels he has no other choices left.
Sometimes just making yourself 'smile' or try to look at things positively can chase away the negativity.. so putting on a smile and 'breathing it in and out' calms and soothes you.
Driving away from everything, even if it's just for a few hours really helps things so much when you feel so down or desperate. Just going to a place that you feel safe or happy to be alone, where no-one can disturb you, like a viewpoint or your home..
It's meant to be about feeling like suicide is the only option, but getting away soothes you.. when really 'eating up all the grey' might appear to be suicide by using exhaust pipe fumes from a car.. it's just that getting away and finding little moments of peace chase away such dark thoughts.
Don't let yourself fall down.. in the video, the man turns into a child and is cradled, everyone need to allow themselves some comfort and slack.. don't be hard on yourself or set yourself impossible tasks.. everyone is still just human
@Chloilas The wonderful thing about songs is that everyone takes them differently. To you, it's not about suicide. To someone else, it could be.