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."
To the end of the road and back
Me and my friend came in
Sick and tired when you live in sin
Knock on the backdoor let me in
Im a raging buffalo flack
Rowing right or left the saddle
Ready for battling any instinct
Brought myself back to an inkling
So I can leave that proper imprint, imprint is so fly
So different and so shy everybody gifted but so dry
Im trying to bring that rain to roll that thought to get you buy
We high off life in the best way
Transitioning over the air waves
Right in front of your eyes we best play over two fifteens
Our essays score within you teens that press play
My dooms been cocooned
And now bleeds throughout my resume
Reservoir dog barking in the back lot
Trying get unchained and hop the fence
Bite that chain and command
To get to that higher plain of consciousness
Consequence of stagnation
Sit and rot in damnation
What is a man without some change
Bum in the street wit himself to blame
Empty pockets, empty brain
Im sick with God
My midi man
Forever eyes of simple plan
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
And as I write to this tune my baby’s five months growing in the womb
There’s a population boom going on
There’s a planetary shift you can hear it in this song
They try to heal it then cut it, heal it then cut it, heal it then cut it don’t cut it again
If you feel it then love it, if you feel it then love it, if you feel it love it my friend
Its right in front of us each and every one of us
Freedom or death yes the two are antonymous
Symphonic jus hearin good news
I keep my ears open and stare to the moon
I know theres more than hope when I put out the feelers
We all want the same thing when we’re bein all realist
Collective consciousness lets form a village
Then spread good feelings till there aint no more killers
And I apologize if I didn’t always rise to occasion
Had to come of age and apply my knowledge to my personal experiences
If I didn’t I could’ve died in all seriousness
We’ve come far y’all
As a person, as a people, as a world
Its time to raise the bar
Its not hard just remember who you are,
Its not hard just remember
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
Me and my friend came in
Sick and tired when you live in sin
Knock on the backdoor let me in
Im a raging buffalo flack
Rowing right or left the saddle
Ready for battling any instinct
Brought myself back to an inkling
So I can leave that proper imprint, imprint is so fly
So different and so shy everybody gifted but so dry
Im trying to bring that rain to roll that thought to get you buy
We high off life in the best way
Transitioning over the air waves
Right in front of your eyes we best play over two fifteens
Our essays score within you teens that press play
My dooms been cocooned
And now bleeds throughout my resume
Reservoir dog barking in the back lot
Trying get unchained and hop the fence
Bite that chain and command
To get to that higher plain of consciousness
Consequence of stagnation
Sit and rot in damnation
What is a man without some change
Bum in the street wit himself to blame
Empty pockets, empty brain
Im sick with God
My midi man
Forever eyes of simple plan
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
And as I write to this tune my baby’s five months growing in the womb
There’s a population boom going on
There’s a planetary shift you can hear it in this song
They try to heal it then cut it, heal it then cut it, heal it then cut it don’t cut it again
If you feel it then love it, if you feel it then love it, if you feel it love it my friend
Its right in front of us each and every one of us
Freedom or death yes the two are antonymous
Symphonic jus hearin good news
I keep my ears open and stare to the moon
I know theres more than hope when I put out the feelers
We all want the same thing when we’re bein all realist
Collective consciousness lets form a village
Then spread good feelings till there aint no more killers
And I apologize if I didn’t always rise to occasion
Had to come of age and apply my knowledge to my personal experiences
If I didn’t I could’ve died in all seriousness
We’ve come far y’all
As a person, as a people, as a world
Its time to raise the bar
Its not hard just remember who you are,
Its not hard just remember
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
A simple plan for life is change find yourself the nicest range, strange
Then you see the light(???)
Then you find the right(???)
On a bright(day)
Lyrics submitted by csimonma
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