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."
Stadium Status...
Uh...
[CHORUS]
My big brother was BIG's brother,
Used to Be Dame and BIG's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, Now Let the story begin.
[VERSE 1]
It's the hard knock life tour, sell out,
Picture us in the mall coppin' iceberg and yell out jigga (jigga),
Yeah that's what we'll yell out (yell out),
You know the name do, i gotta spell out, or tell bout?
J.A.Y, and Ye' so shy, now he won't even step to his idol to say hi.
Standing there like a mime and let the chance pass by,
Back of my mind, he could change your life.
With all these beats i did, at least let him hear,
At least you can brag to your friends back at the gig.
But he got me out my mama' crib,
Then he helped me get my mama' a crib.
[CHORUS]
Big brother was BIG's brother,
Used to Be Dame and BIG's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, Now Let the story begin (begin).
Let the story begin (let the story begin).
If you feel the way i feel, why don't you wave your hands?
[VERSE 2]
Fresh off the plane, im off the base line.
Nothin' handed out, im bout to take mine.
Round the same time of that Blueprint One,
And these beats in my pocket was that blueprint for im'.
I played my little songs in that old back room,
He'd bop his head and say, 'damn, oh thats you?'
But by the black album, i was blackin' out,
Party at S.O.B's and we had packed the crowd.
Big brother got a show up in Madison Square,
And i'm like, 'Yeah yeah, we gon' be there!'
But, not only did i not get a chance to spit it.
Carlene told me i could buy two tickets.
I guess big brother was thinkin' a little different,
And kept little brother at bay at a distance.
But everything that i felt was more bogus,
Only made me more focused, only wrote more potent.
Only thing i wanna know, is why i get looked over,
I guess i understand when i get more older.
Big brother saw me at the bottom of the totem,
Now im' on the top and everybody on the Scrotum.
[CHORUS]
My Big brother was B.I.G's brother,
Used to Be Dame and B.I.G's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, now Let the story begin (begin).
Let the story begin.
If you feel the way i feel, why won't you wave your hands?
[VERSE 3]
Have you ever walked in the shadow of a giant?
Not only a client, but the presedito.
Hola' Hovito', the game gettin' foul, so here's a free throw.
I was always on the other side of the people,
Then i dropped Jesus Walks, now im on a steeple.
And we know, New Jack City gotta keep my brother,
But to be number one, imma' beat my brother.
On that diamonds remix, i swore i'd spaz,
Then my big brother came through and kicked my ass!
Sibling rivalry, only i could see, it was the pride in me, that was drivin' me.
At the grammy's i said, i inspired me.
But my big brother who i always tried to be.
When i kicked the flow, it was like pick and roll',
Coz even if he gave me the ROC, it's give and go.
I guess Beanie's style was more of a slam dunk,
And my shit was more like a finger roll, but i had them singles so,
And them hoe's at the show gonna' mingle yo, (laughs), ya'll know!
I told Jay i did a song with Coldplay,
Next thing i know, he got a song with coldplay.
Back of my mind, im like 'damn,no way',
Translate Espanol, No way hose'!
Then i went and told Jay Brown,
Should have known that was gonna come back around,
Should have talked to you like a man, should have told you first,
But i told someone else and thats what made shit worse.
My big brother, was BIG's brother,
So here's a few words from ya kid brother.
If you admire somebody, you should go head and tell em',
People never get the flowers, while they can still smell em'.
A idol in my eyes, god of the game, heart of the city, Roc-a-fella Chain,
Never be the same, never be another number one Young Hov' or so my big brother.
[CHORUS]
My Big brother was B.I.G's brother,
Used to Be Dame and B.I.G's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, and thats where the story ends...
Uh...
[CHORUS]
My big brother was BIG's brother,
Used to Be Dame and BIG's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, Now Let the story begin.
[VERSE 1]
It's the hard knock life tour, sell out,
Picture us in the mall coppin' iceberg and yell out jigga (jigga),
Yeah that's what we'll yell out (yell out),
You know the name do, i gotta spell out, or tell bout?
J.A.Y, and Ye' so shy, now he won't even step to his idol to say hi.
Standing there like a mime and let the chance pass by,
Back of my mind, he could change your life.
With all these beats i did, at least let him hear,
At least you can brag to your friends back at the gig.
But he got me out my mama' crib,
Then he helped me get my mama' a crib.
[CHORUS]
Big brother was BIG's brother,
Used to Be Dame and BIG's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, Now Let the story begin (begin).
Let the story begin (let the story begin).
If you feel the way i feel, why don't you wave your hands?
[VERSE 2]
Fresh off the plane, im off the base line.
Nothin' handed out, im bout to take mine.
Round the same time of that Blueprint One,
And these beats in my pocket was that blueprint for im'.
I played my little songs in that old back room,
He'd bop his head and say, 'damn, oh thats you?'
But by the black album, i was blackin' out,
Party at S.O.B's and we had packed the crowd.
Big brother got a show up in Madison Square,
And i'm like, 'Yeah yeah, we gon' be there!'
But, not only did i not get a chance to spit it.
Carlene told me i could buy two tickets.
I guess big brother was thinkin' a little different,
And kept little brother at bay at a distance.
But everything that i felt was more bogus,
Only made me more focused, only wrote more potent.
Only thing i wanna know, is why i get looked over,
I guess i understand when i get more older.
Big brother saw me at the bottom of the totem,
Now im' on the top and everybody on the Scrotum.
[CHORUS]
My Big brother was B.I.G's brother,
Used to Be Dame and B.I.G's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, now Let the story begin (begin).
Let the story begin.
If you feel the way i feel, why won't you wave your hands?
[VERSE 3]
Have you ever walked in the shadow of a giant?
Not only a client, but the presedito.
Hola' Hovito', the game gettin' foul, so here's a free throw.
I was always on the other side of the people,
Then i dropped Jesus Walks, now im on a steeple.
And we know, New Jack City gotta keep my brother,
But to be number one, imma' beat my brother.
On that diamonds remix, i swore i'd spaz,
Then my big brother came through and kicked my ass!
Sibling rivalry, only i could see, it was the pride in me, that was drivin' me.
At the grammy's i said, i inspired me.
But my big brother who i always tried to be.
When i kicked the flow, it was like pick and roll',
Coz even if he gave me the ROC, it's give and go.
I guess Beanie's style was more of a slam dunk,
And my shit was more like a finger roll, but i had them singles so,
And them hoe's at the show gonna' mingle yo, (laughs), ya'll know!
I told Jay i did a song with Coldplay,
Next thing i know, he got a song with coldplay.
Back of my mind, im like 'damn,no way',
Translate Espanol, No way hose'!
Then i went and told Jay Brown,
Should have known that was gonna come back around,
Should have talked to you like a man, should have told you first,
But i told someone else and thats what made shit worse.
My big brother, was BIG's brother,
So here's a few words from ya kid brother.
If you admire somebody, you should go head and tell em',
People never get the flowers, while they can still smell em'.
A idol in my eyes, god of the game, heart of the city, Roc-a-fella Chain,
Never be the same, never be another number one Young Hov' or so my big brother.
[CHORUS]
My Big brother was B.I.G's brother,
Used to Be Dame and B.I.G's brother,
Who was hip hop brother, who was No I.D Friend,
No I.D my mentor, and thats where the story ends...
Lyrics submitted by hakarumonoka
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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,

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.

Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
I think instead of "I guess being styled was more of a slam dunk" it's "I guess Beanie's style was more of a slam dunk"
Referring to Beanie Sigel, who is also a rapper on the Roc-A-Fella Record Label.
"Then i went and told Jay Brown, Should have known that was gonna come back around, Should have talked to you like a man, should have told you first, But i told someone else and thats what made shit worse."
whats this bit about?
good song
found this from a rolling stone article with jay-z, this part is about this song:
"since everyone has something to say about Kanye West these days, Jay noted that he loved Kanye’s Jigga tribute “Big Brother,” but light-heartedly corrected ‘Ye’s recollection of the facts — particularly that Hov made him buy tickets to a show at Madison Square Garden and that Jay stole West’s idea to record with Coldplay. “Not everything on the song was true, but it was true in his mind,” said Jay. “He says ‘Carleen said I could buy two tickets.’ You would think he didn’t get any tickets. I gave him four, he wanted six. It was a charity event! And Coldplay — I introduced him to Coldplay, I gave him the number! But I thought it was a brilliant song. It brought us closer together.” "
thought people might be interested.
I really really really like this song which is why I posted it. I've never really been a fan of Kanye but after hearing this I'm starting to like his new stuff.
Are you, by chance, trying to promote metrolyrics.com?
He probably copied and pasted the lyrics from that website. I this song and Everything I am for their relaxed chill beats, can listen to both over and over again.
Hey, I couldn't have done the lyrics any better myself. I'd rather read the correct version even if I didn't write them myself instead of trying to slaughter them. ;)
In my opinion this is the greatest song Kanye West has ever done...even though its about Kanye's realationship with Jay-Z. I think anyone who has a brother they are close to can relate to this song...i know i always think about my brother when i hear this song...
yo is he coming at dame dash in this song, "used to be dame's brother??
dd left roc-a-fella.