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."
Anythings hard to change
But hey I got you down on your knees again
You watch the sky
It's a pale parade of passing clouds
That cover
The bed upon which we laid
In the dark
And the memories that I made
Of a laughing girl
But you're just my toy
And I can't stop playing with you, baby
[Chorus]
If you think you need to go
If you wanted to be free
There's one thing you need to know
And that's that you can't count on me
Coming along real good
But I still can't do most of the things I should
I watch the sky coming down to bury me and
I can't stop this crawling out of my skin
I know that you see yourself flying in
Out of the sky
Coming down
To carry me
But I won't come out
[Chorus]
No you can't count on me
I watched all of the same parades
As they passed on the days that you wish you'd stayed
All this pain gets me high
And I get off and you know why
[Chorus: x2]
Aw you can't count on me
No you can't count on me
But hey I got you down on your knees again
You watch the sky
It's a pale parade of passing clouds
That cover
The bed upon which we laid
In the dark
And the memories that I made
Of a laughing girl
But you're just my toy
And I can't stop playing with you, baby
[Chorus]
If you think you need to go
If you wanted to be free
There's one thing you need to know
And that's that you can't count on me
Coming along real good
But I still can't do most of the things I should
I watch the sky coming down to bury me and
I can't stop this crawling out of my skin
I know that you see yourself flying in
Out of the sky
Coming down
To carry me
But I won't come out
[Chorus]
No you can't count on me
I watched all of the same parades
As they passed on the days that you wish you'd stayed
All this pain gets me high
And I get off and you know why
[Chorus: x2]
Aw you can't count on me
No you can't count on me
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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.
I got to hear Adam talk about this song last week in an interview, and he went into great detail about the depths of his personal depression and how that has seemed to ravaged his relationships. Adam went on to say that the whole album was him comming to grips with his severe depression and him deciding if he was going to fight it, or succomb to it. Very deep song, and after the interview, it ment so much more than face value. But thats just like their song writing and music...more than surface stuff. I personally know the feeling of not being able to be counted on in a relationship. Thats just how I am wired. I will hang for a while, but I will leave, its just a matter of time.
Great song.
Sounds like what he's been saying for years, that he can't be counted on lol
I like that his voice is shaky...throughout this album he has bouts of it and I believe it helps heighten the desperation. He's always put so much emotion into his music, I'm glad to see he still is.
i think that he is saying that he doesn't feel anything for her but just likes to have fun with her. He saying that you can't count on him to change because he might never change his ways.
@ first i thought he was saying "you CAN count on me"..and then i realized once i reviewed the title again, that i only were wishing it said "you can count on me." He is really saying "you CANT count on me" and that is because he was left before and the girl is coming back to him again. Him saying "I'm coming along real good" and "But you're just my toy" are just a couple of many lines that indicate he is okay now, without her, whether it means it took a long time for him to heal or if she was just a "toy" to begin with. he doesn't need her. I think because of the emphasis at the end of the song with the repetitive lines.... "There's just one thing you'll need to know. And that's that you can't count on me. Oh, you can't count on me. No, you can't count on me." ...we are reminded he does NOT need her and he doesn't want anything to do with her....
his voice is too shaky but i kinda like the song
you obviously haven't heard much of Counting Crows if you said this of all songs his voice is too shaky in.
after watching the video, i think i have to agree with all or nothin - we see him throwin around a bunch of stuff at his apartment but none of it hits the ground and then he walks out and then when the girl walks in, all the stuff that had been hovering in midair comes crashing down and a tear falls from her eye. so i think all the stuff crashing is to emphasize just how much it hurt him when she broke up with him or something like that and to show that he's sooo done with her now, and she realizes that and that's why she's crying.
I agree with you. I think that the girl was just another fling for him. This part makes it apparent:
But you're just my toy And I can't stop playing with you, baby
Seems like he doesn't love her like she loves him, but he needs her nonetheless. Maybe a case of lust.
This song is about a guy that knows that he is leading a girl on and he wants to be honest with her. He is emotionally dependant on her, he needs her. But he also knows himself well enough to know that he doesn't really want to be with her.
I think that this song is more for himself than her. He can't make up his mind, because he is so emotionally dependant on her one minute, but he can't commit to her and he can't be what she needs him to be. He almost wants her to get so fed up and leave, so that he can stop feeling guilty. But at the same time, he's addicted to feeling like crap and the pain. It's all that he knows.
when I listen to this song I pretty much imagine a guy who doesn't care for a girl as much as he knows he should. He knows he's bad at maintaining a relationship so it's almost a warning to the girl not to get too attatched