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."
Sitting in my class, just drifting away
Staring into the windows of the world, yeah
I can't hear the teacher, his books don't call me at all
I don't see the bad boys tryin' to catch some play
'Cause I love your smile
I love your smile
The clock at work says three
And I wanna be free
Free to scream, free to bathe, free to paint
My toes all day
My boss is lame you know, and so is the pay
I'm gonna put that new black mini on my charge anyway
'Cause I love your smile
(Hey) Said I love your smile
Time came and showed me your direction
Now I know I'll never ever go back
Taught me that
I can be a better girl
With love you give, you rock my world
You dig
I'm showin' the life that I'm livin'
This is the life that I have
And it's given to you
Yeah, and it's true
Ladida, twinkly-dee
Do you, believe in a girl like me?
Shanice is the one for you to be with
But when I'm caught all alone
I start fessin'
It's from state of depression
And then the thunder clouds of doubt move in
I begin to wonder, "Do you still love me?"
But after that
My whole world is beautiful
Blow, Branford, blow
Time came and showed me your direction
Now I know I'll never ever go back
Taught me that
I can be a better girl
With love you give, you rock my world
Smile, psych
Ooh, I love your smile (smile for me)
And yes I do, boy
I love your smile
I love your smile, baby
I love your smile
I really do
Staring into the windows of the world, yeah
I can't hear the teacher, his books don't call me at all
I don't see the bad boys tryin' to catch some play
'Cause I love your smile
I love your smile
The clock at work says three
And I wanna be free
Free to scream, free to bathe, free to paint
My toes all day
My boss is lame you know, and so is the pay
I'm gonna put that new black mini on my charge anyway
'Cause I love your smile
(Hey) Said I love your smile
Time came and showed me your direction
Now I know I'll never ever go back
Taught me that
I can be a better girl
With love you give, you rock my world
You dig
I'm showin' the life that I'm livin'
This is the life that I have
And it's given to you
Yeah, and it's true
Ladida, twinkly-dee
Do you, believe in a girl like me?
Shanice is the one for you to be with
But when I'm caught all alone
I start fessin'
It's from state of depression
And then the thunder clouds of doubt move in
I begin to wonder, "Do you still love me?"
But after that
My whole world is beautiful
Blow, Branford, blow
Time came and showed me your direction
Now I know I'll never ever go back
Taught me that
I can be a better girl
With love you give, you rock my world
Smile, psych
Ooh, I love your smile (smile for me)
And yes I do, boy
I love your smile
I love your smile, baby
I love your smile
I really do
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More Featured Meanings
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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
This song is pretty self-explanatory. I LOVE IT!
LOVE IT! Lol. It makes me feel so happy. It makes me think of when I was kid playing in the summer time with my family around me so warm! (Sighs)... Thanks for posting it =)
Agreed. This song is so wonderful. A great feel-good jam.
Reminds me of a first, real hard crush: when all you can think about is that one person. And you can't focus and everything else just seems so dismal and pointless.
I'm crushing on someone now (:-S) and their smile just lights me up.
Postscript: I LOOOOOOVE Branford's "blow" in this. It's my favorite part. He is so great. I just love to hear that little section over and over again. Perfect.
Michael. JACKSON