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'm runnin' in the parkin' lot, I'm four years old
I am lost, those were the days
The soft murmur of voices in the other room
Comforting you as you fall asleep
Starin' at the mother-daughter clones go by
We're in a race against time, and time might be winning
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long must we wait?
How long must this stay?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
I am ashamed I think maybe sometimes
I might've used tricks to make you like me more
When I found you I was running wild
Let's get out of here, was in trouble there
I wanna know
What are you thinking
'Cause I think
I think it too
Slidin' across the Indian wilderness
Like the wind gliding down soft roads
Six AM now you're in Hollywood
And you're dancin', we made it
We are turning back the Earth so fast
But it feels a lot slower
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long will it take
To fix what they break?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Your Achilles heel is you like to feel
Your fingers on the wheel
Some live in a palace, some live in the sewers
The director, and the actor, and the crew, and the viewers
Boys get their toys and girls got their dolls
And nothing much else changes through the final stages
How you're spendin' the day is the same as your life
And you're watchin' the time running away
Oh wait up, wait up, oh wait up, wait up
Oh wait up, wait up, wait up, wait up
Wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
I am lost, those were the days
The soft murmur of voices in the other room
Comforting you as you fall asleep
Starin' at the mother-daughter clones go by
We're in a race against time, and time might be winning
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long must we wait?
How long must this stay?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
I am ashamed I think maybe sometimes
I might've used tricks to make you like me more
When I found you I was running wild
Let's get out of here, was in trouble there
I wanna know
What are you thinking
'Cause I think
I think it too
Slidin' across the Indian wilderness
Like the wind gliding down soft roads
Six AM now you're in Hollywood
And you're dancin', we made it
We are turning back the Earth so fast
But it feels a lot slower
And it's not gonna take all day long
Watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy
And I'm on my way, oh, somewhere
Feels like I'm going left and right in the dark
How long will it take
To fix what they break?
Oh wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Your Achilles heel is you like to feel
Your fingers on the wheel
Some live in a palace, some live in the sewers
The director, and the actor, and the crew, and the viewers
Boys get their toys and girls got their dolls
And nothing much else changes through the final stages
How you're spendin' the day is the same as your life
And you're watchin' the time running away
Oh wait up, wait up, oh wait up, wait up
Oh wait up, wait up, wait up, wait up
Wake up, wake up, oh wake up, wake up
Oh wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Lyrics submitted by a_transient
Left & Right in the Dark Lyrics as written by Julian Casablancas
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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No Surprises
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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.
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
interesting interpretation about the environment. i had not even thought that until reading the quotes. i figured it was about living in the city and getting lost in all the people who are all the same. it is his way to get away from it all and feel life as an individual, if that makes sense... being free from the day-to-day and feeling alive.
thoughts?