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."
There's big pieces of a life she can't remember
Her mind shuts down, it's trying to protect her
Might be for the best to forget but it seems like
They always reappear when she least expects
Late nights we lay awake, drowning in the lake that pours out of her face
Years later she's still not safe
Memories live out in the time,in the place
The way he smelled,the way he smiled
The evil she even recognized as a child
Hand on her throat, sting of a fist
Instead of her first kiss she got this
Shameful feeling, painful secret
Lonely knowin' that nobody would believe it
Heavy wound that escapes the time capsule
It hurts like the day it was born and it's brand new
I wasn't there, babygirl, but I'm here
I don't know what to say I just hear
If there's one wish I could make true
I would shoulder that pain and take it off of you
Don't run, babygirl, don't run
You gotta' face what you're fighting head on
Only one thing I could say in truth
Gotta' deal with the demons before they deal with you
How can she find peace in her mind when
Love means returning to the scene of a crime
I can feel it inside we reopen wounds every time we intertwine
Such an evil design when you can't even enjoy the sweetness you find
Trying to see through the tears in your eyes and rebuild your shrine
one piece at a time
E and the K made it all fade away
colors don't burn no more it's all gray
Cant find heaven from within that shell but it's enough of a blessin' just not seeing hell
Constant inner dialog says just end this roller coaster ride you're on
Only one solution seems final:
slide into a hole where your pain can't find you
I wasn't there babygirl but I'm here
I don't know what to say I just hear
If there's one wish I could make true
I would shoulder that pain and take it off of you
Don't run babygirl, don't run
You gotta' face what you're fighting head on
Only one thing I could say in truth
Gotta deal with the demons before they deal with you
She said if I was meant to die he would've killed me
There must be a reason that I still breathe
I don't have the tools to rebuild me
But I still believe that one day I could feel free
And my body can be mine again
My eyes can learn how to shine again
My inner child won't have to hide and then
When I'm strong then love can be invited in
Sweet God that's all I ask of thee
I'm willing to give what you demand of me
I'm learning to embrace the reality
That life doesn't always turn out how it's planned to be
I didn't deserve what was handed me
Only one who can grant happiness is me
What it takes for her to face the day
I can only hope to be half that brave
I wasn't there, babygirl, but I'm here
I don't know what to say I just hear
If there's one wish I could make true
I would shoulder that pain and take it off you
Don't run, babygirl, don't run
You gotta' face what you're fighting head on
Only one thing I could say in truth
Gotta' deal with the demons before they deal with you
Her mind shuts down, it's trying to protect her
Might be for the best to forget but it seems like
They always reappear when she least expects
Late nights we lay awake, drowning in the lake that pours out of her face
Years later she's still not safe
Memories live out in the time,in the place
The way he smelled,the way he smiled
The evil she even recognized as a child
Hand on her throat, sting of a fist
Instead of her first kiss she got this
Shameful feeling, painful secret
Lonely knowin' that nobody would believe it
Heavy wound that escapes the time capsule
It hurts like the day it was born and it's brand new
I wasn't there, babygirl, but I'm here
I don't know what to say I just hear
If there's one wish I could make true
I would shoulder that pain and take it off of you
Don't run, babygirl, don't run
You gotta' face what you're fighting head on
Only one thing I could say in truth
Gotta' deal with the demons before they deal with you
How can she find peace in her mind when
Love means returning to the scene of a crime
I can feel it inside we reopen wounds every time we intertwine
Such an evil design when you can't even enjoy the sweetness you find
Trying to see through the tears in your eyes and rebuild your shrine
one piece at a time
E and the K made it all fade away
colors don't burn no more it's all gray
Cant find heaven from within that shell but it's enough of a blessin' just not seeing hell
Constant inner dialog says just end this roller coaster ride you're on
Only one solution seems final:
slide into a hole where your pain can't find you
I wasn't there babygirl but I'm here
I don't know what to say I just hear
If there's one wish I could make true
I would shoulder that pain and take it off of you
Don't run babygirl, don't run
You gotta' face what you're fighting head on
Only one thing I could say in truth
Gotta deal with the demons before they deal with you
She said if I was meant to die he would've killed me
There must be a reason that I still breathe
I don't have the tools to rebuild me
But I still believe that one day I could feel free
And my body can be mine again
My eyes can learn how to shine again
My inner child won't have to hide and then
When I'm strong then love can be invited in
Sweet God that's all I ask of thee
I'm willing to give what you demand of me
I'm learning to embrace the reality
That life doesn't always turn out how it's planned to be
I didn't deserve what was handed me
Only one who can grant happiness is me
What it takes for her to face the day
I can only hope to be half that brave
I wasn't there, babygirl, but I'm here
I don't know what to say I just hear
If there's one wish I could make true
I would shoulder that pain and take it off you
Don't run, babygirl, don't run
You gotta' face what you're fighting head on
Only one thing I could say in truth
Gotta' deal with the demons before they deal with you
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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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
SICK song . The beat goes perfect with the most amazing flow ever. LIKE Brother Ali, check out thecurrent.org for live streaming amazing music , THE BEST RADIO STATION IN THE NATION!