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."
Take the dam next to the water
Next to flowers and old times
I hoped the view was still the same.
'Cause I've been losing strength in power
Regret occupies my mind
I'm sick of loneliness and pain.
I used to be, young and free
Worried about my legacy
Now I'm aged and alone.
I'm getting old, and growing up
Is not what it's cracked up to be
We're just names in stone.
When we're young,
We think we're perfec, indestructible and strong.
Let me tell you that you're wrong.
'Cause I have watched life come and go
My God, I've seen my children die.
Respect and glory are just talk.
I used to be, young and free
Worried about my legacy
Now I'm aged and alone.
I'm getting old, and growing up
Is not what it's cracked up to be
We're just names in stone.
We're just names in stone....
Hold on to your youth
'Cause soon you'll be old, too.
Hold on to your youth
'Cause soon you will die, too.
Next to flowers and old times
I hoped the view was still the same.
'Cause I've been losing strength in power
Regret occupies my mind
I'm sick of loneliness and pain.
I used to be, young and free
Worried about my legacy
Now I'm aged and alone.
I'm getting old, and growing up
Is not what it's cracked up to be
We're just names in stone.
When we're young,
We think we're perfec, indestructible and strong.
Let me tell you that you're wrong.
'Cause I have watched life come and go
My God, I've seen my children die.
Respect and glory are just talk.
I used to be, young and free
Worried about my legacy
Now I'm aged and alone.
I'm getting old, and growing up
Is not what it's cracked up to be
We're just names in stone.
We're just names in stone....
Hold on to your youth
'Cause soon you'll be old, too.
Hold on to your youth
'Cause soon you will die, too.
Lyrics submitted by ellie117
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Mountain Song
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
i love the cab and they're one of my favorite bands but... this is the saddest song i've ever heard haha. i'm sure the intentions were good but holy... it's depressing.
especially the last line.
so i love these boys...but i definitely have to agree with the post above me, this is one of the saddest songs ever! it's really good, dont get me wrong, but goodness it's depressing!
alex's voice is beautiful in this...even more so than normal...
I recently discovered this band and they are pretty awesome! The song is great and i see absolutely no connection, but just the song title reminds me of "Growing Up" by Fall Out Boy. Like i said, there's no resemblance what so ever between the two songs but "Getting Old" just made me think of "Growing Up" lol maybe just because both bands are signed to Pete Wentz's label Decaydance.
I think this is meant to be in the perspective of an old person, perhaps one of their grandparents because I can't imagine why else they would write a song like this. lol
"I used to be, young and free Worried about my legacy Now I'm aged and alone. I'm getting old, and growing up Is not what it's cracked up to be"
"'Cause I have watched life come and go My God, I've seen my children die. Respect and glory are just talk."
And how you just get old an die.
"Hold on to your youth 'Cause soon you'll be old, too. Hold on to your youth 'Cause soon you will die, too."
"We're just names in stone." Like a tombstone^.
This song reminds me of my grandmother so much. She always believed (and still does) that she's indestructible and strong, and nothing will ever happen to her. She's killing her own son (My God, i've see my children die.) and all she cares about is the legacy she leaves behind.
I love The Cab though. and this song.