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."
Fear me
I am your shadow, multiplied
I let out what you always tried to hide
No respect, no holding back
You'll be lucky to get away alive
Eyes wide, all rise
I don't care
Don't bleed on the floor
You really thought it would be that easy to put on hold?
I warned you not to cross me
But with all my means, if you can get up, off you go
I don't care
But don't rip me off
I'll go all the way back to get my bit
And if that means comin' over
To blow you face off?
So be it
All rise who haven't seen enough
Eyes wide, you'll want to see it all
I don't care
And I don't like your face
Your kind should just stay locked in
You know you had it coming
Serves you right you and your stupid grin
I don't care
Cut me off and you're dead
I'm king of the road watch me corner you
I can't tolerate this disrespect
My friend, it's bullets for you
Eyes wide, all rise
When I call you out
When I burn these books
When I drug your boy
When I shot up a car
When I rape this girl
When I maim my spouse
When I sell my child
When I break your laws
(What do you do?)
You pass by and do nothing at all
See not, hear not, fear not, walk
Glad it's not you got offed
It's not your fault that society's warped
You scoff and say it's all going down
"What's the world coming to?" I hear you shout
Hypocrites come out and do your frown
You practiced enough to get it locked down by now
Go down
How many more now?
How many boundaries broken?
How many more now?
How many yet to get smashed in?
I am your shadow, multiplied
I let out what you always tried to hide
No respect, no holding back
You'll be lucky to get away alive
Eyes wide, all rise
I don't care
Don't bleed on the floor
You really thought it would be that easy to put on hold?
I warned you not to cross me
But with all my means, if you can get up, off you go
I don't care
But don't rip me off
I'll go all the way back to get my bit
And if that means comin' over
To blow you face off?
So be it
All rise who haven't seen enough
Eyes wide, you'll want to see it all
I don't care
And I don't like your face
Your kind should just stay locked in
You know you had it coming
Serves you right you and your stupid grin
I don't care
Cut me off and you're dead
I'm king of the road watch me corner you
I can't tolerate this disrespect
My friend, it's bullets for you
Eyes wide, all rise
When I call you out
When I burn these books
When I drug your boy
When I shot up a car
When I rape this girl
When I maim my spouse
When I sell my child
When I break your laws
(What do you do?)
You pass by and do nothing at all
See not, hear not, fear not, walk
Glad it's not you got offed
It's not your fault that society's warped
You scoff and say it's all going down
"What's the world coming to?" I hear you shout
Hypocrites come out and do your frown
You practiced enough to get it locked down by now
Go down
How many more now?
How many boundaries broken?
How many more now?
How many yet to get smashed in?
Lyrics submitted by bananahero
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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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
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Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.