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."
If you have ghosts
Than you have everything
If you have ghosts
Than you have everything
You can say anything you want
and you can do anything you want
If you have ghosts
Than you have everything
One never does that
One never does that
You can call it
Surprise there it is
The moon to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
one never does that
in the night I am real
in the night I am real
The moon to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
Wherever is the wind
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
In the night I am real
I don't want me
fangs too long
I don't want my
fangs too long
The moon to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
Forever is the wind
to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
I don't want my
fangs too long
If you have ghosts
than you have everything
Than you have everything
If you have ghosts
Than you have everything
You can say anything you want
and you can do anything you want
If you have ghosts
Than you have everything
One never does that
One never does that
You can call it
Surprise there it is
The moon to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
one never does that
in the night I am real
in the night I am real
The moon to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
Wherever is the wind
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
In the night I am real
I don't want me
fangs too long
I don't want my
fangs too long
The moon to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
Forever is the wind
to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
I don't want my
fangs too long
If you have ghosts
than you have everything
Lyrics submitted by God_Less_nes
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
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Pagans use a symbol called the triple moon which shows a full moon in the middle with a waxing crescent moon to the left and a waning one to the right. These represent three stages of life. In many pagan traditions, the three moons are described in female terms (in accordance with the goddess that many pagans worship). The waxing crescent represents the maiden (hence youth) and the waning crescent represents the crone (old age, death). The writer refers to "the moon to the left of me"; from the writer's perspective he is referring to old age. The future is clearly on his mind, ghosts are often a metaphor for memories and one's past. I think the lyrics are about never learning from mistakes, the ghosts should enable you to (have everything) but for us imperfect humans they don't.
brilliant track!
embrace the strange
I thought this song was about Werewolves, "I don't want my fangs too long"?
@stevenova1 It's partly meant to evoke images of werewolves but mostly it refers to the term 'long in the tooth'. When people get older their gums recede and their teeth look longer. He's saying he's worrying about death but he's afraid of being old and infirm, too.
The song is about the loneliness in being schizophrenic paranoid. The ghosts are his only friends. They are in his imagination, so they are not even real.