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."
I never knew perfection till
I heard you speak, and now it kills me
Just to hear you say the simple things
Now waking up is hard to do
And sleeping's impossible, too
Everything is reminding me of you
What can I do?
It's not right, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break
A fool to let you slip away
I chase you just to hear you say
You're scared and that you think that I'm insane
The city looks so nice from here
Pity, I can't see it clearly
While you're standing there, it disappears
It disappears
It's not right, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break
Saw you sitting all alone
You're fragile, and you're cold
But that's all right
Life these days is getting rough
They've knocked you down and beat you up
But it's just a roller coaster anyway, yeah
It's not right, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, and I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break, baby
I heard you speak, and now it kills me
Just to hear you say the simple things
Now waking up is hard to do
And sleeping's impossible, too
Everything is reminding me of you
What can I do?
It's not right, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break
A fool to let you slip away
I chase you just to hear you say
You're scared and that you think that I'm insane
The city looks so nice from here
Pity, I can't see it clearly
While you're standing there, it disappears
It disappears
It's not right, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break
Saw you sitting all alone
You're fragile, and you're cold
But that's all right
Life these days is getting rough
They've knocked you down and beat you up
But it's just a roller coaster anyway, yeah
It's not right, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, not okay
Say the word that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, and I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break, baby
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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,
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
aghh i love this song! to me, its about a bittersweet break up, someone wanting to help their lover, but they cant....they're like "it's not right, not ok" but then "life...knocks you down and beats you up but it's just a roller coaster anyway', hoping that she'll be able to manage by herself because things naturally will get better. sort of reminds me of "she will b e loved" a little...no?