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."
Salina, I'm as nowhere as I can be
Could you add some somewhere to me
Ah Kansas, I'm kneeling, ah Kansas, please
Cleveland, I ain't never felt nothing so strong
Been believin' the words to my songs
Ohio, I'm leaving, Ohio, I'm gone
From town to town and state to state
There's people everywhere that try to capture us
We stole the cash and left our names
And almost slipped in Indianapolis
The rain it fell, the story went on
The rain it fell, and we got gone
Poughkeepsie, hang up the telephone
I won't answer your phone calls no more
New York, quit calling, New York, leave me be
I'm changing the plans that I've been setting on
I'm scared by the way that my life's getting gone
Carolina, one day I'll, someday I'll come home
Carolina, one day I'll, someday I'll come
Home, home
Could you add some somewhere to me
Ah Kansas, I'm kneeling, ah Kansas, please
Cleveland, I ain't never felt nothing so strong
Been believin' the words to my songs
Ohio, I'm leaving, Ohio, I'm gone
From town to town and state to state
There's people everywhere that try to capture us
We stole the cash and left our names
And almost slipped in Indianapolis
The rain it fell, the story went on
The rain it fell, and we got gone
Poughkeepsie, hang up the telephone
I won't answer your phone calls no more
New York, quit calling, New York, leave me be
I'm changing the plans that I've been setting on
I'm scared by the way that my life's getting gone
Carolina, one day I'll, someday I'll come home
Carolina, one day I'll, someday I'll come
Home, home
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Mountain Song
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
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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.
Head > Heels
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“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.
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 obviously seems to be about touring - with the towns mentioned being concert venues - and how it can affect your life. The most intriguing line to me is Poughkeepsie, because I went to college there. It really leaves you with a feeling of how disillusioning touring can be. And it leaves me wondering what the hell happened in Poughkeepsie.
i think he's referencing people (possibly girls) of his past through their city names. There are a lot of musicians who do that.<br /> <br /> "From town to town and state to state<br /> There�s people everywhere that try to capture us"<br /> <br /> are you picking up what i'm puttin down?<br />
Bah, people always want to make song lyrics about girls and love. People can just be the amzing, wonderful people they meet everywhere they go. It's not always girls and love.
The uptempo part of this song is possibly my favorite part of the entire cd and even now that its been almost a year having this cd I find myself singing it during the day.
how come no one has even commented on the avett bros? these guys are super. and this is definitely one of the best trax off 'emotionalism'
and not to mention they play a meeeean live show!
i agree.
they are an amazing band. they were at echo project
Is Rochester New York okay to come to? I would love to see these guys live!
I know this album has been out a long time now, but it came up on my iPod today and I was prompted to look it up. I agree with the previous posts--clearly this is a song about their lives on the road as traveling musicians. The line I love in this song, however is
"Changing the plans that I've been setting on/ I'm scared by the way that my life is getting gone/Carolina, one day I'll, someday I'll come home"
The older I get, the faster life does indeed seem to pass by and the more I yearn to be at home with friends and family. Sadly, like them, work often keeps me away from where my heart is. I suspect they were feeling the same way.