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."
And I tried to find anything I could
To fill the void that I had felt inside
And I tried to hide 'cause I never could release
The very guilt that was in my mind
Every time that I?d trace these lines
I?d feel like I had been so blind
'Cause You are everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
Sometimes I feel a fight to release the grip
And trust that everything will be alright
And it?s been so real to feel the peace that You give
Start unfolding when I let things go
Every weight that I had build inside
When I lay it down, I realize that
You are everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
All these pointless ties to these endless lies
That this temporal life will satisfy
Well, I hide my life in you
You're everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
You're everything that this heart will need
You're everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
To fill the void that I had felt inside
And I tried to hide 'cause I never could release
The very guilt that was in my mind
Every time that I?d trace these lines
I?d feel like I had been so blind
'Cause You are everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
Sometimes I feel a fight to release the grip
And trust that everything will be alright
And it?s been so real to feel the peace that You give
Start unfolding when I let things go
Every weight that I had build inside
When I lay it down, I realize that
You are everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
All these pointless ties to these endless lies
That this temporal life will satisfy
Well, I hide my life in you
You're everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
You're everything that this heart will need
You're everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I breathe for
And everything that this heart will need, yeah
Everything that I hope for
And everything that I crave
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
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.