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."
A lonely road crossed another cold state line
Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find
While I recall all the words you spoke to me
Can't help but wish that I was there
Back where I'd love to be, oh yeah
Dear God the only thing I ask of you
Is to hold her when I'm not around
When I'm much too far away
We all need that person who can be true to you
But I left her when I found her
And now I wish I'd stayed
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired
I'm missing you again oh no
Once again
There's nothing here for me on this barren road
There's no one here while the city sleeps
And all the shops are closed
Can't help but think of the times I've had with you
Pictures and some memories will have to help me through, oh yeah
Dear God the only thing I ask of you
Is to hold her when I'm not around
When I'm much too far away
We all need that person who can be true to you
I left her when I found her
And now I wish I'd stayed
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired
I'm missing you again oh no
Once again
Some search, never finding a way
Before long, they waste away
I found you, something told me to stay
I gave in, to selfish ways
And how I miss someone to hold
When hope begins to fade
A lonely road crossed another cold state line
Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find
Dear God the only thing I ask of you
Is to hold her when I'm not around
When I'm much too far away
We all need the person who can be true to you
I left her when I found her
And now I wish I'd stayed
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired
I'm missing you again oh no
Once again
Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find
While I recall all the words you spoke to me
Can't help but wish that I was there
Back where I'd love to be, oh yeah
Dear God the only thing I ask of you
Is to hold her when I'm not around
When I'm much too far away
We all need that person who can be true to you
But I left her when I found her
And now I wish I'd stayed
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired
I'm missing you again oh no
Once again
There's nothing here for me on this barren road
There's no one here while the city sleeps
And all the shops are closed
Can't help but think of the times I've had with you
Pictures and some memories will have to help me through, oh yeah
Dear God the only thing I ask of you
Is to hold her when I'm not around
When I'm much too far away
We all need that person who can be true to you
I left her when I found her
And now I wish I'd stayed
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired
I'm missing you again oh no
Once again
Some search, never finding a way
Before long, they waste away
I found you, something told me to stay
I gave in, to selfish ways
And how I miss someone to hold
When hope begins to fade
A lonely road crossed another cold state line
Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find
Dear God the only thing I ask of you
Is to hold her when I'm not around
When I'm much too far away
We all need the person who can be true to you
I left her when I found her
And now I wish I'd stayed
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired
I'm missing you again oh no
Once again
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
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.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.
This song isn't about James, it was recorded while he was still alive. This song has to do more with being away from the girl he loves because he's touring, "A lonely road, crossed another cold state line Miles away from those I love purpose undefined." Clearly he misses her A LOT "Can't help but think of the times I've had with you Pictures and some memories will have to help me through." He left when he was still getting to know her now he doesn't know if anything will change, "We all need the person who can be true to you I left her when I found her And now I wish I'd stayed."
To me personally this an afterward to Seize the Day because in the music video of Seize the Day the character portrayed in the mv left his spouse and went to rob a bank and got caught and arrested and while he was arrested, his spouse died in a car accident. So for me this song is like a dedication to her because the lyrics give it away "I'm missing you again" and " I left her when I found her and I wished I could stay" and also it makes sense the verse where he says " I gave in to selfish ways" (when he robbed the bank he gave in to selfish desires and didn't care about his child or spouse and went and robbed the bank) and also he says. "Something told me stay" (this proves that he wanted to stay with his spouse but he gave in to selfish desires) this is definite afterwards to seize the day and it makes sense since this song and album was after City of Evil so that's the meaning to this song. There is other meanings but this is the main reason.
I think its Like a beginning or an afterward of Seize the Day. It's a straight up love song i like the whole CD.
GO TACO!!
Has anyone read The Color Purple? Because Nettie was my first thought.
To me personally this an afterward to Seize the Day because in the music video of Seize the Day the character portrayed in the mv left his spouse and went to rob a bank and got caught and arrested and while he was arrested, his spouse died in a car accident. So for me this song is like a dedication to her because the lyrics give it away "I'm missing you again" and " I left her when I found her and I wished I could stay" and also it makes sense the verse where he says " I gave in to selfish ways" (when he robbed the bank he gave in to selfish desires and didn't care about his child or spouse and went and robbed the bank) and also he says. "Something told me stay" (this proves that he wanted to stay with his spouse but he gave in to selfish desires) this is definite afterwards to seize the day and it makes sense since this song and album was after City of Evil so that's the meaning to this song. There is other meanings but this is the main reason.
what beautiful lyrics.
in my opinion, it's obviously about being away from a loved one every so often.. it's up to someone else to decipher the rest!
damn! How the hell did u get diz lyrics? But i admit this lyrics is beautifull..
wow. i can not wait to actually hear this one, it sounds like it'll be really good. the lyrics are really really beautiful.
This is actually a really good song...im listening to it right now...this whole cd is pretty good...
your stupid dude this song doesn't sound like avenged sevenfold b/c they tried to do something that sounds way diffrent on every album such as this and unholy confessions that diddn't sound like them now did it... maybe you really just need to stop complaining chill out and take a fucking midol bitch!
LOL @ alingle telling someone "stop complaining" and "chill out"
look, a7x says that they aren't shoving anything down your throats. from what i always see someone else will always try to think of a deeper meaning or completely complicated one or mention something about drugs. God can mean anything; who truly knows but the band themselves. besides, Shadows and The Rev apparently were raised into Catholicism but you guys dont seem to have a problem with that.
anyway, from what i heard they said this album describes the band Avenged Sevenfold and i guess it does because thats what they said; so wait and see what that means.