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."
Nina I can be your boyfriend
So you can stay with your girlfriend
Your father is a sweet old man
But it is hard for him to understand
That you wanna love a woman
Nina I can be your boyfriend
If it puts an end to all this nonsense
First time I see you in Berlin
And you don't tell me anything
Until outside your dad's apartment
Ooh, ooh (ooh), bah bah bah
Oh God, Jesus Christ
I try to focus on your eyes
We're having dinner with your family now
Keep a steady look at your left eyebrow
If it's raised, it means yes
If it's not it means take a guess
Hey, you, stop kicking my legs
I'm doing my best
Can you pass the figs
Your father puts on my record
He says, "So tell me how you met her"
Uh, I get a little nervous and change the subject
And put my hand on some metal object
He jokes and tells me it's a lie detector
He takes out the booklet and starts reading
So I heard you're moving out next season
I say, "Yeah, New York is nice that time of year"
Almost as green as it is here
He says, "I thought you were moving to Sweden?" Oh
Oh God, what have I done?
I came to Berlin to have some fun
The clock on the wall strikes four, five, six
My eyes caught by a big crucifix
Guess that's why he won't let you go
His Catholic heart is big and slow
You know I'll do anything for love
But Nina what were you thinking of?
But Nina I can be your boyfriend
So you can stay with your girlfriend
Your father's mailing me all the time
He says he just wants to say hi
I send back "Out of office" auto-replies
Nina I just want to check in
'Cause I think about you every second
So I send you this postcard just to say
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Yours truly, Jens Lekman
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way (ooh)
Don't let anyone stand in your way (ooh)
So you can stay with your girlfriend
Your father is a sweet old man
But it is hard for him to understand
That you wanna love a woman
Nina I can be your boyfriend
If it puts an end to all this nonsense
First time I see you in Berlin
And you don't tell me anything
Until outside your dad's apartment
Ooh, ooh (ooh), bah bah bah
Oh God, Jesus Christ
I try to focus on your eyes
We're having dinner with your family now
Keep a steady look at your left eyebrow
If it's raised, it means yes
If it's not it means take a guess
Hey, you, stop kicking my legs
I'm doing my best
Can you pass the figs
Your father puts on my record
He says, "So tell me how you met her"
Uh, I get a little nervous and change the subject
And put my hand on some metal object
He jokes and tells me it's a lie detector
He takes out the booklet and starts reading
So I heard you're moving out next season
I say, "Yeah, New York is nice that time of year"
Almost as green as it is here
He says, "I thought you were moving to Sweden?" Oh
Oh God, what have I done?
I came to Berlin to have some fun
The clock on the wall strikes four, five, six
My eyes caught by a big crucifix
Guess that's why he won't let you go
His Catholic heart is big and slow
You know I'll do anything for love
But Nina what were you thinking of?
But Nina I can be your boyfriend
So you can stay with your girlfriend
Your father's mailing me all the time
He says he just wants to say hi
I send back "Out of office" auto-replies
Nina I just want to check in
'Cause I think about you every second
So I send you this postcard just to say
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Yours truly, Jens Lekman
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way (ooh)
Don't let anyone stand in your way (ooh)
Lyrics submitted by bing_redboy, edited by errorgorilla, gabbagabbaheygirl
A Postcard to Nina Lyrics as written by Jens Martin Lekman
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/
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.
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.
I really did not mean to post that twice.
I really did not mean to post that twice.
No, it's "I can be your boyfriend," as in: "I can pretend to be your boyfriend so your father doesn't catch on that you're gay."
The song describes Lekman having an awkward dinner with Nina and her parents. He's pretending to be her date so she can hide the fact that she's gay from her father who has a "catholic heart [which] is big and slow".
He "thinks about [her] every second" but knows it will never amount due to her preferences, so I'd suppose that the song is somewhat sad in that respect.
"Don't let anyone stand in your way" is probably a plea for Nina to not hold back or hide the things that make her who she is and what makes her a happy person. That she shouldn't let her father's conservative nature "stand in [her] way".
"I love the sign-off line: "Yours truly, Jens Lekman". I assume that's a deliberate echo of Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" ("Sincerely, L. Cohen")."
Or he just wanted people to know how to pronounce his name :P
I can't get over the way he says "father." I think its wonderful...this is in my top three favorites off the record. So funny and cute and lovely.
love this song, cant believe this black guy is the first person to reply, haha
song is great lyrics are great and it seems true too..based on a true story cause he explained it live @ the pitchfork festival (look for it on youtube)
but some of these lyrics are either wrong or go to a different version of the song...
for example, "embarrased"-->"a little nervous" "laughs":-->"jokes"
minor stuff really
forgot to say how funny this song is, from his pronunciation of father to "i send back out of office auto replies"
I think "Then it turned into buffalo 66"
Should be: "The clock on the wall strikes four, five, six."
That's pretty off, so maybe I'm hearing a different version. I really, really wish it said Buffalo 66 since that's my favorite movie. It also somewhat applies to the theme of the song here too.
I'm pretty sure the line was about Buffalo 66 when he performed it live in 2006.
This song is awesome.
Probably one of the most effective chorus' I've ever heard.
I love the sign-off line: "Yours truly, Jens Lekman". I assume that's a deliberate echo of Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" ("Sincerely, L. Cohen").