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."
She'll be gone soon
You can have me for yourself
She'll be gone soon
You can have me for yourself
But do give
Just give me today
Or you will just scare me away
What we built is bigger
Than the sum of two
What we built is bigger
Than the sum of two
But somewhere
I lost count of my own
And somehow
I must find it alone
24 and blooming like the fields of May
25 and yearning for a ticket out
Dreams burn
But in ashes are gold
Dreams burn
But in ashes are gold
You can have me for yourself
She'll be gone soon
You can have me for yourself
But do give
Just give me today
Or you will just scare me away
What we built is bigger
Than the sum of two
What we built is bigger
Than the sum of two
But somewhere
I lost count of my own
And somehow
I must find it alone
24 and blooming like the fields of May
25 and yearning for a ticket out
Dreams burn
But in ashes are gold
Dreams burn
But in ashes are gold
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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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
I think that this is a sad, pessimistic song. It's about a breakup. About somebody realizing that he is much better off alone, and that he is now paying a heavy price for having been in a relationship. Specifically...
=> "She'll be gone soon, you can have me for yourself"
=> "But do give, just give me today, or you will just scare me away"
=> "what we build is bigger than the sum of two"
=> "but somewhere I lost count on my own, and somehow I must find it alone"
=> "24 and blooming like the fields of May, 25 and yearning for a ticket out"
=> "dreams burn, but in ashes are gold"
'' She'll be gone soon you can have me for yourself ''
In this part of the song, the speaker, the guy, is talking to the third person, the girl he likes or the girl he is in love with, with whom he plans to start a relationship with after breaking up with his current girlfriend. He is promising her a future together.
'' But do give, just give me today or you will just scare me away ''
He is asking her for patience, because his current relationship has been long and he needs time because he considers it is not easy to start over with a new person.
'' what we build is bigger than the sum of two ''
This is a new part of the song, notice the instrumental part between these verses and the previous ones, it sort of makes the 'transition' between both phases of the song; and in this new part he is talking to a different person, that is his current girlfriend, who he is breaking up with. He starts by saying how wonderful their relationship has been.
'' but somewhere I lost count on my own and somehow I must find it alone ''
But then, here he is giving her the reasons to end the relationship.
'' 24 and blooming like the fields of May 25 and yearning for a ticket out ''
Another instrumental transition appears between these verses and the previous ones. Here, he is talking to himself, like a self-dialogue. He reflects on his relationship: when he first dated this girl, when he was 24, he had great hopes and expectations on this relationship. But then, at 25, he no longer feels the same for this girl and wants to split up with her because he feels it is the best for both of them.
'' dreams burn but in ashes are gold ''
I do not consider this part pessimistic at all, he relates dreams with those positive thoughts and hopes he had at the beginning of the relationship, in a way that 'dreams burn but in ashes are gold' means that the relationship ended for the better and goes back to when they were happy, thinking of it as a great experience, not as a bad thing. He kind of thanks the girl for having lived with him such a great time together but wants her to understand that it has to be over now.
I think it may be..."24 and blooming like the fields of May", not "Maine"
thats what it says in the lyrics that come with the album. 'may'
I wondered if this song was about erlend and by eirik. Leaving his partner to join erlend and needing time to adjust. Especially since this album followed a seven year hiatus. Erlend left the band to seek his own path, yearning for a ticket out. They have rejoined way down the line and eirik must find the motivation they had before having been out of the scene. I may be wrong but it seems like there is a slight feeling of having been together, parted, and then reunited with an expectation that everything will be the same.
I like your interpretation!
Sometimes certain lyrics don't strike you the first time you listen to them. I listened to this song again a little while later, and was really hit by the opening lyrics:
"She'll be gone soon You can have me for yourself She'll be gone soon You can have me for yourself
But do give Just give me today Or you will just scare me away"
There's something in those lines that perfectly describes the feeling when you know you'll soon lose contact with somebody you've fallen in love with, and only really want them, but are also aware that someone else seems kinda into you.
And you don't want that at all.
As dants said:
"...it looks like the taleteller isn't really interested in the new person that he's talking to, since the second part of the sentence ("you can have me for yourself") appears emotionally detached."
It is an absolutely fantastic song.
i think it should be: "you can have me for yourself" I love this track.
yeah, it makes more sense :)
i think we should discuss this song a bit more,its so beautiful and i love KOC so much,but this 24-25 is confusing me,any clue?especially the ending with this slow guitar motions PERFECT!<br />
this is one of their most beuatiful song from the new album. I actually had a chance to see them live month ago and all my expectations were....MAN!They are wonderful, full of emotions and now I am even more in love with them. This song wakes up such a nice emotions while I am listening to it but 24-25 I don't to what is related. When I think of it I imagine a beautiful girl of 24-25 dreaming alone. Any ideas? dreams burn but in ashes are gold - wow!
I'm pretty sure it's about a guy who has a gf or wife, and is about to breaking up with them and the song is to his mistress. "She'll be gone soon, you can have me for yourself". As well as "25 and yearning for a ticket out" talking about the relationship he has at the moment. And then "dreams burn but in ashes are gold" meaning the dreams he once had with the girl he is breaking up with are being burnt but it means there will be gold in it for his mistress!
at least thats what it sounds like!
"dreams burn but in ashes are gold"
love that line! for me it means that for those two on that song, when other dreams are burn, they will have a chance to make their own dream turn into gold.
*-}} remind me of that special someone that came right after my "dream" burn down. Sometimes, all you need its a end, to build an entire new golden dream.
this is beautiful