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."
Oh the band marched on in formation
The brass was phasing tunes I couldn't place
Windows open and raining in a room yellow, blue, gold and gray
The drunks were ricocheting
The old buildings downtown empty so long ago
Windows broken and dreaming
So happy to leave what was a home
With the sky blue sky, this ride in time wouldn't seem so bad to me now
Oh, I didn't die; I should be satisfied I survived
It's good enough for now
With the sky blue sky, this ride in time wouldn't seem so bad to me now
Oh, if I didn't die, I should be satisfied I survived
It's good enough for now
The brass was phasing tunes I couldn't place
Windows open and raining in a room yellow, blue, gold and gray
The drunks were ricocheting
The old buildings downtown empty so long ago
Windows broken and dreaming
So happy to leave what was a home
With the sky blue sky, this ride in time wouldn't seem so bad to me now
Oh, I didn't die; I should be satisfied I survived
It's good enough for now
With the sky blue sky, this ride in time wouldn't seem so bad to me now
Oh, if I didn't die, I should be satisfied I survived
It's good enough for now
Lyrics submitted by mavs41, edited by katysomething
Sky Blue Sky Lyrics as written by Jeff Tweedy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I love this song, but this whole album is beautiful. I just want to say that amidst comments of "I am disappointed, or this rocks" I have to say that I am just thrilled to be living on this planet at the same time as Jeff Tweedy. If there's a heaven I will be listening to Wilco 24/7! That's all.
I think its about hope. Its about hope for better times on days when life seems so meaningless and hopeless . tweedy says "with the sky blue sky, this rotten time wouldn't seem so bad to me now". he believes that if only the sky was blue he would be happier. that don't solve the problems the person might have but it gaves him a little bit of hope.
I believe the first line of the final stanza should read, "With the sky blue sky, this rotten time wouldn't seem so bad to me now."
A few corrections (I could be wrong)
"Windows open and raining in MAROON, yellow, blue, gold and grey."
"With the sky blue sky this rotten time wouldn't seem so bad to me now"
I heard Jeff Tweedy perform this back when it was called Lullaby for Rafters and Dreams at one of his solo shows in Southern Illinois and it took my breath away. After the show I mentioned to my friend that the lyric 'sky blue sky' really made me smile and was amazingly descriptive for its redundancy.
The song, to me, is just the concept of hope and how even on the saddest of days if you look outside and see nature smiling bright and sundrenched, you are at your core made at least slightly happy.
A few corrections (I could be wrong)
"Windows open and raining in MAROON, yellow, blue, gold and grey."
"With the sky blue sky this rotten time wouldn't seem so bad to me now"
I heard Jeff Tweedy perform this back when it was called Lullaby for Rafters and Dreams at one of his solo shows in Southern Illinois and it took my breath away. After the show I mentioned to my friend that the lyric 'sky blue sky' really made me smile and was amazingly descriptive for its redundancy.
The song, to me, is just the concept of hope and how even on the saddest of days if you look outside and see nature smiling bright and sundrenched, you are at your core made at least slightly happy.
i'm a bit disappointed by the new album, but this is may favorite song on it
Just wanted to say thanks for helping me figure out where I've heard this song before. Lullaby for Rafters and Dreams. I like the new album and I'm hoping it grows on me like Ghost did.
yeah, it's definatelt a grower, the new album. it's just started to hit me and i'm really coming around to it, especially "hate it here," "impossible germany," and "on and on and on" and "walken" and "leave me like you found me" - oh theyre all so good!!!
i think this song is definitely about belleville, IL, which is where jeff tweedy came up. it describes it so perfectly- the school colors, the shitty downtown, the complete lack of anything to do. and while he talks about how much he hates the town, in the music i get the sense that he may now sometimes miss the time he spent there, which is how i think a lot of people feel about belleville after they finally get away.
hey hey hey don't slam on my town. Yeah think that this was an experience when his family was driving and got held up by a parade on a rainy day, and he realized that he hated Belleville. Which I agree isn't that great of a town, but it's my hometown, so it'll always have a special place in my heart, and I think that's what Jeff Tweedy is saying.