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."
On the porch, she will sit,
light another cigarette,
and take a sip of anything that makes it right.
She's outside, trying to hide from the fight just inside,
where her mom and her dad destroy each other
and on the phone she will call
every boy, yeah, one and all.
They will touch her in all the right places.
And in her room, she will slide
down the bed and try to fly,
and she will fall once again for the feeling
and as he grabs her brown hair,
she is faking
that the feeling he gives her is real
as the floor underneath the bed is
breaking
she will finish what she starts with "i love you."
so from her head to her toes,
nervous hands and runny nose,
all of this just for one night of feeling
and in her ears she will hear
all the things that hide her fears
of dying young and making plans for the future.
and all the marks on her arms
symbolize a fractured heart
and all the boys that were smart
left her alone
so from the roof, she will fly
15 feet down the side
of the house where she once was happy
yes it's true, she's aware
that she is breaking
and it's true, she can't do anything
well in her blue underwear
she is thinking how
in jesus' precious name
she got here
well it's sad but it's true
she is ending
but for now, she will pray for some wings
on a black cadillac she is landing hard
yet her parents' biggest worry is the car
light another cigarette,
and take a sip of anything that makes it right.
She's outside, trying to hide from the fight just inside,
where her mom and her dad destroy each other
and on the phone she will call
every boy, yeah, one and all.
They will touch her in all the right places.
And in her room, she will slide
down the bed and try to fly,
and she will fall once again for the feeling
and as he grabs her brown hair,
she is faking
that the feeling he gives her is real
as the floor underneath the bed is
breaking
she will finish what she starts with "i love you."
so from her head to her toes,
nervous hands and runny nose,
all of this just for one night of feeling
and in her ears she will hear
all the things that hide her fears
of dying young and making plans for the future.
and all the marks on her arms
symbolize a fractured heart
and all the boys that were smart
left her alone
so from the roof, she will fly
15 feet down the side
of the house where she once was happy
yes it's true, she's aware
that she is breaking
and it's true, she can't do anything
well in her blue underwear
she is thinking how
in jesus' precious name
she got here
well it's sad but it's true
she is ending
but for now, she will pray for some wings
on a black cadillac she is landing hard
yet her parents' biggest worry is the car
Lyrics submitted by eleven24eleven
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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,
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Oh jesus. Those last two lines.
Word.