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."
All that's left is my heavy breathing,
A place where my head spins,
Everything in between has come out,
It's calling me up, it's calling me,
Do you think I ever cared?
Let me prove you all wrong.
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear,
I can't be brought down, oh, I stand so high,
That I have never listened, that I have never listened to so much,
Where's the lesson in this? Where's the meaning in this now?
Self-taught, a trick I played for far too long,
Soft speech with heavy words that come from no book,
Where are the followings, how do we reach the truth?
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear, I can't be brought down,
Oh, I stand so high, that I have never listened,
That I have never listened to so much, where's the lesson in this?
All that's left is my heavy breathing,
A place where my head spins.
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear, I can't be brought down,
Oh, I stand so high, that I have never listened,
That I have never listened to so much, where's the lesson in this?
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear,
I can't be brought down, oh, I stand so high,
That I have never listened, that I have never listened to so much,
Where's the lesson in this? Where's the meaning in this now?
A place where my head spins,
Everything in between has come out,
It's calling me up, it's calling me,
Do you think I ever cared?
Let me prove you all wrong.
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear,
I can't be brought down, oh, I stand so high,
That I have never listened, that I have never listened to so much,
Where's the lesson in this? Where's the meaning in this now?
Self-taught, a trick I played for far too long,
Soft speech with heavy words that come from no book,
Where are the followings, how do we reach the truth?
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear, I can't be brought down,
Oh, I stand so high, that I have never listened,
That I have never listened to so much, where's the lesson in this?
All that's left is my heavy breathing,
A place where my head spins.
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear, I can't be brought down,
Oh, I stand so high, that I have never listened,
That I have never listened to so much, where's the lesson in this?
Before you open your mouth, let me make it clear,
I can't be brought down, oh, I stand so high,
That I have never listened, that I have never listened to so much,
Where's the lesson in this? Where's the meaning in this now?
Lyrics submitted by Street Spirit
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Corrections welcome, although I think it's relatively sound. Great song.
Oh, and the meaning is pretty self-evident.
Agreed lyrics seem all correct to me.
As for the meaning I think it's obvious as well. Classic Jonny Craig. This song is a good representation of his mindset I think. He can be perceived as a sort of troubled person because of the songs he writes, but you can always see the strength he has too.
"Self-taught, a trick I played for far too long, Soft speech with heavy words that come from no book"
He is so uniquely independent, and that's the way most of ought to be.
i personally think this song is about his family and people who used to put him down and it used to get to him and this comes into play in the line
"All that's left is my heavy breathing, a place where my head spins,"
then in the line "everything in between has come out, it's calling me up, it's calling me" is like saying his calling to become a singer has come and when he says "do you think i ever cared?" he is saying he doesnt care to just leave his family behind.
and in the chorus its seems like even today they try to still put him down but he knows inside he is a better person than they could ever be and he wont let them bring him down to thier level.
The only correction I have is in the chorus.
I'm pretty sure he says "while I stand so high" and not "oh, I stand so high"
having listened to it, i reckon he just elongates the 'I' at the start of "I stand so high"
I believe it is "while I stand so high" as well. i also think it is, "that i'll have ever ascent, that i'll have ever ascent to so much." but that's what i hear but i also am probably wrong. i think either way they would sound correct.
ok i lied it is "that i have never listened".
the title to me like means kids who get put in "trash cans" or whatevs, getting bullied. and heavy breathing.. how he wants to fight them and its been calling me up.. because he's never fought back before. just my thoughts! :)
haha, the title is just supposed to be humorous. garbage pail kids were collectable cards from a while back with pictures of kids doing gross things on them. but this is a great song nonetheless
Oh ha well I don't see how that goes with the song but cool, and ya great song
Am I the only one who sees how spiteful and egocentric this song is? I love it, don't get me wrong it's awesome when you're pissed, but really. Are all of you ignoring how much of a totally drugged, drunk ASSHOLE he's always been, or are you just unawares? Because honestly, I would find that hard to believe. Why are you clapping him on the back?
I think this song is really obviously about DGD and everyone else who got fed up with his bullshit. 'Do you think I ever cared?' About the band, about any of them, etc. 'I can't be brought down, I stand so high', his over-inflated ego has always been cause for conflict. I think this can also be related back to his drug use....ANYWAY, if you listen to his tone, it is clearly not spiteful. This is not an anthem of empowerment, this is a bitter retort.
Also, 'that I never listened' reiterates his total lack of regard for anything but himself.
I think it's quite obviously about the fans that have turned their back on him, and that he doesn't need them because they aren't his "true" fans
The line "Oh, I stand so high, that I have never listened" to mean really sounds as though he's trying to say that "I'm above what you say and I'm not going to let it affect me," but it also kind of alludes that, well<br /> <br /> He has never listened. It was kind of hard at first to decide whether he was vocalizing this as self-depreciation or if he prided himself in being stubborn. I kind of think it's the latter considering the first part of the chorus.
to me*<br /> <br /> If you look at it through the lens of "All you're trying to do is belittle me, so I'm not going to let it get me down or pay you any mind anymore, so stop trying," is a great message for people who are dealing with people who keep harping on them endlessly and without resolve, but I do think that who Jonny Craig himself may be voicing it at DGD.