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 met down in the valley, where the wine of love and destruction flows
There in that curve of darkness where flowers of temptation grow
I left the rest for the others it was you and nothing else
You felt so good to me baby, as good as life itself
You were life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
I knew you were in trouble, anyone could tell
You carried your little black book from which all your secrets fell
You squandered all your riches, your love, your beauty and your wealth
Like you had no further use for, for life itself
You were life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
Why the things that we treasure most slip away in time
'Til to the music we grow deaf and to god's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart
'Til we fall away in our own darkness, stranger to our own hearts
And to life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
So here's one for the road
Here's one to your health
And to life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
Life itself
Life itself
Life itself
Life itself
There in that curve of darkness where flowers of temptation grow
I left the rest for the others it was you and nothing else
You felt so good to me baby, as good as life itself
You were life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
I knew you were in trouble, anyone could tell
You carried your little black book from which all your secrets fell
You squandered all your riches, your love, your beauty and your wealth
Like you had no further use for, for life itself
You were life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
Why the things that we treasure most slip away in time
'Til to the music we grow deaf and to god's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart
'Til we fall away in our own darkness, stranger to our own hearts
And to life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
So here's one for the road
Here's one to your health
And to life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in the black elms
Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes
I can't make it without you
Life itself
Life itself
Life itself
Life itself
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
I guess this song is about life with your loved one and all the things you'll go through together, not having control over all of it. And your loved one is your tower of strength to make it through all circumstances.