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."
We sit and we wait
And we think, do they care
As we stare deep into their eyes
Verse 1
Mayhem:
Yo Haze, who they better than
I'm a veteran
Now they say "Yo, he tryna be American"
That's a joke, you a wanker with no skills
May is dope, and his gangster is so real
Plus, who run the town like we
I have New York writers tryna sound like me
From a what to a where
A clap to a grin
Hot to this shit, feds of a Loc to a Crip
Hid the game, I'm here now, the blitzers came
Glist the chain, driveby with the Range
See back in New York I would flip the 'caine
And hit the strip with bricks 'til them chips exchanged
See Funk Flex to Dame, Cam'ron and Jimmy, yes
Fred and E, the whole gang is with me
If you didn't listen then, understand me now
Dipset, Roc-A-Fella, we family now, ow
Hook
Haze:
Ma, just a little letter from your son
Just to let you know I'm doing fi-ine
Everyday on the block
Whether rain or snow I'm stuck on my gri-ind
Ma, you ain't gotta pay no bills (no bills)
You know that your sons heart is real (so real)
So stick with me, I'ma get those mils
And make sure that success is sealed
You hear me holla at ya
Verse 2
Mega:
We G-A-N-G-S-T-E-R
I never had a dream of being a rock star
I'm a block star
Flip yay, get paid errday
Hoppin' in and out of hot cars, come on
That's why I say to the hoes
"Let's roll 'round town, so hop in my six and roll around, come on"
And we can take it to the hills, we can chill
I work with the piff, you working my dick
Now neck, neck, yeah, yeah
That's how I get wit' 'em, neck in 'em
Leave a little me's a little vex in 'em
Yeah I'm disrespectin' 'em
Now I'm with R-O-C, they wanna F wit' him
When I was broke, didn't want sex wit' him
No interest in him
Wouldn't invest in him
Now my pinky, wrist, and neck blingin'
They drink my kids, cheers, that was excellent
Hook
Verse 3
Mayhem:
Yo this is heartfelt, it's what my heart felt
I spit heat to the beat, make your heart melt
I'm the author, like cancer I'm so ill
I've been grindin' and rhyming with no deal
Tryna be me, I ain't into TT
What you thinkin' I'm flossin' cuz you see me on TV
We been rappin' for life, now rap is my life
So I give you incite when I rap about life
Ay yo, straight from the beginning
We make it and win it
It's great how I be feeling that faith like it's religion
My destiny's to shine, deep up on my grind
You just speakin' through the rhymes
Need to read between the lines
I was born to do it, beyond the music
My foundation at home was strong, you knew it
My moms been through it
Year and out, May and Mega gon' make hits
Straight flip then bring the chaddar home, I'm gone
Haha, bitch
Hook
And we think, do they care
As we stare deep into their eyes
Verse 1
Mayhem:
Yo Haze, who they better than
I'm a veteran
Now they say "Yo, he tryna be American"
That's a joke, you a wanker with no skills
May is dope, and his gangster is so real
Plus, who run the town like we
I have New York writers tryna sound like me
From a what to a where
A clap to a grin
Hot to this shit, feds of a Loc to a Crip
Hid the game, I'm here now, the blitzers came
Glist the chain, driveby with the Range
See back in New York I would flip the 'caine
And hit the strip with bricks 'til them chips exchanged
See Funk Flex to Dame, Cam'ron and Jimmy, yes
Fred and E, the whole gang is with me
If you didn't listen then, understand me now
Dipset, Roc-A-Fella, we family now, ow
Hook
Haze:
Ma, just a little letter from your son
Just to let you know I'm doing fi-ine
Everyday on the block
Whether rain or snow I'm stuck on my gri-ind
Ma, you ain't gotta pay no bills (no bills)
You know that your sons heart is real (so real)
So stick with me, I'ma get those mils
And make sure that success is sealed
You hear me holla at ya
Verse 2
Mega:
We G-A-N-G-S-T-E-R
I never had a dream of being a rock star
I'm a block star
Flip yay, get paid errday
Hoppin' in and out of hot cars, come on
That's why I say to the hoes
"Let's roll 'round town, so hop in my six and roll around, come on"
And we can take it to the hills, we can chill
I work with the piff, you working my dick
Now neck, neck, yeah, yeah
That's how I get wit' 'em, neck in 'em
Leave a little me's a little vex in 'em
Yeah I'm disrespectin' 'em
Now I'm with R-O-C, they wanna F wit' him
When I was broke, didn't want sex wit' him
No interest in him
Wouldn't invest in him
Now my pinky, wrist, and neck blingin'
They drink my kids, cheers, that was excellent
Hook
Verse 3
Mayhem:
Yo this is heartfelt, it's what my heart felt
I spit heat to the beat, make your heart melt
I'm the author, like cancer I'm so ill
I've been grindin' and rhyming with no deal
Tryna be me, I ain't into TT
What you thinkin' I'm flossin' cuz you see me on TV
We been rappin' for life, now rap is my life
So I give you incite when I rap about life
Ay yo, straight from the beginning
We make it and win it
It's great how I be feeling that faith like it's religion
My destiny's to shine, deep up on my grind
You just speakin' through the rhymes
Need to read between the lines
I was born to do it, beyond the music
My foundation at home was strong, you knew it
My moms been through it
Year and out, May and Mega gon' make hits
Straight flip then bring the chaddar home, I'm gone
Haha, bitch
Hook
Lyrics submitted by VampedVixen
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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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
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.