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."
I drugged my heart with doublespeak
And all my misgivings disappear
It helps to keep my conscious clean
The ends will justify the means
And still I'm always careful what I hear
I don't wanna know who really pulls the strings
Just as long as it's not you or me
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime you just look the other way
I slowly cut my soul away
And piece by piece I sacrificed
To comfort and piece of mind
I keep my toes on the party line
There's nothing wrong dear don't think twice
I don't wanna know who really pulls the strings
Just as long as it's not you or me
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other way
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other
Look the other way
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other way
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other way
I drugged my heart with doublespeak
(I drugged my heart with doublespeak)
All my misgivings disappear
(all my misgivings disappear)
It helps to keep my conscious clean
(it helps to keep my conscious clean)
The ends will justify the means
(the ends will justify the means)
Still I'm always careful what I hear
(I'm always careful what I hear)
And all my misgivings disappear
It helps to keep my conscious clean
The ends will justify the means
And still I'm always careful what I hear
I don't wanna know who really pulls the strings
Just as long as it's not you or me
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime you just look the other way
I slowly cut my soul away
And piece by piece I sacrificed
To comfort and piece of mind
I keep my toes on the party line
There's nothing wrong dear don't think twice
I don't wanna know who really pulls the strings
Just as long as it's not you or me
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other way
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other
Look the other way
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other way
There's a jackboot toe tap keeping time
While the children dance and play
Honey if think you have seen a crime won't you look the other way
I drugged my heart with doublespeak
(I drugged my heart with doublespeak)
All my misgivings disappear
(all my misgivings disappear)
It helps to keep my conscious clean
(it helps to keep my conscious clean)
The ends will justify the means
(the ends will justify the means)
Still I'm always careful what I hear
(I'm always careful what I hear)
Lyrics submitted by faithinthethief
Doublespeak Lyrics as written by James Riley Breckenridge Edward Carrington Breckenridge
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
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such a great song