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 hope one day I will grow out of this
Then I will leave this battlefield
Good or bad depends on your point of view
And I can see things from both sides
Just one more classic case of catch-22
Things don't have a simple truth
So you ask where this is leading me
Only I don't have an answer yet
Seeing things black and white is for the weak
I'm strong enough for shades of grey
While searching for the perfect compromise
I am driven to despair
So my thoughts are spinning around
For I know my problem well
And I wonder, will I ever get
Out of this carousel
You are trying in vain
To reach me with your hands
But all that I can say
Is I hope you understand
So I am caught between the chairs again
While everybody else does fine
It's just my nature to move back and forth
Always trying not to offend
I cannot decide whether to refuse
Or to reach out for your helping hand
So my thoughts are spinning around
For I know my problem well
And I wonder, will I ever get
Out of this carousel
You are trying in vain
To reach me with your hands
But all that I can say
Is I hope you understand
Meanwhile I'm trying to make up my mind
Feeling like I'm paralysed
What's the sense of it all, is it...
Because of you and I
Because of fear
Or just because of all
That I wish to have near
It's about really stupid things
But they keep growing until
They seem to tear me apart
So my thoughts are spinning around
For I know my problem well
And I wonder, will I ever get
Out of this carousel
You are trying in vain
To reach me with your hands
You ask for explanations
Until things make sense
Well, I don't have any
So all that I can say is
I hope you understand
It is because you and I
Because of fear
Because of all
That I wish to have near
It's about really stupid things
Of no major size
But they keep on growing
Until a part of me dies
Then I will leave this battlefield
Good or bad depends on your point of view
And I can see things from both sides
Just one more classic case of catch-22
Things don't have a simple truth
So you ask where this is leading me
Only I don't have an answer yet
Seeing things black and white is for the weak
I'm strong enough for shades of grey
While searching for the perfect compromise
I am driven to despair
So my thoughts are spinning around
For I know my problem well
And I wonder, will I ever get
Out of this carousel
You are trying in vain
To reach me with your hands
But all that I can say
Is I hope you understand
So I am caught between the chairs again
While everybody else does fine
It's just my nature to move back and forth
Always trying not to offend
I cannot decide whether to refuse
Or to reach out for your helping hand
So my thoughts are spinning around
For I know my problem well
And I wonder, will I ever get
Out of this carousel
You are trying in vain
To reach me with your hands
But all that I can say
Is I hope you understand
Meanwhile I'm trying to make up my mind
Feeling like I'm paralysed
What's the sense of it all, is it...
Because of you and I
Because of fear
Or just because of all
That I wish to have near
It's about really stupid things
But they keep growing until
They seem to tear me apart
So my thoughts are spinning around
For I know my problem well
And I wonder, will I ever get
Out of this carousel
You are trying in vain
To reach me with your hands
You ask for explanations
Until things make sense
Well, I don't have any
So all that I can say is
I hope you understand
It is because you and I
Because of fear
Because of all
That I wish to have near
It's about really stupid things
Of no major size
But they keep on growing
Until a part of me dies
Lyrics submitted by progmetalgod
Carousel Lyrics as written by Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein Ii
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
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,
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