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."
The sparrow and wolf lay as still as the blades of the grass,
like worn leather boots of colour and size that would last,
caught them a lark in a trap and each held a wing,
then they tore it apart before that small bird could sing.
Confused by the wind, bruised by the size of the rain,
she turned back to him, begged for love to remain,
but plans have been made and all of the furniture sold,
so just store up your hate, use it for warmth when you're cold.
For I have seen no joy, only danger,
I see no joy, only strangers,
I see no joy, see no joy in this world.
Should you choose to roam, please be careful of
lonesome roads, men that travel them
will not know, will not know of your ways.
Still I see no joy, only danger,
I see no joy, only strangers,
I see no joy, see no joy in this world.
Should you choose to roam, please be faithful,
of what you learned from that little bird,
always dear, always dear to my heart.
like worn leather boots of colour and size that would last,
caught them a lark in a trap and each held a wing,
then they tore it apart before that small bird could sing.
Confused by the wind, bruised by the size of the rain,
she turned back to him, begged for love to remain,
but plans have been made and all of the furniture sold,
so just store up your hate, use it for warmth when you're cold.
For I have seen no joy, only danger,
I see no joy, only strangers,
I see no joy, see no joy in this world.
Should you choose to roam, please be careful of
lonesome roads, men that travel them
will not know, will not know of your ways.
Still I see no joy, only danger,
I see no joy, only strangers,
I see no joy, see no joy in this world.
Should you choose to roam, please be faithful,
of what you learned from that little bird,
always dear, always dear to my heart.
Lyrics submitted by tikilights, edited by chado, ThusItWas, rodri481, tim1011746
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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,
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
to me, this song represents less of a divorce and the child caught between, but rather the harshness and callousness of the male ideal versus the concern and empathy of the female ideal.
the choruses are from the point of view of the male, who knows how wonderful and understanding and pure the female can be, but knows how dangerous it can be for that sort to travel the road of life unprotected.
in the first verse, the sparrow (female) and wolf (male) work together to do what it takes to survive; it requires the taking of a life to feed to both of them, and they're united in that fashion, but while the sparrow wants comforting, the wolf is a mean creature, and knows what must be none and has the heartlessness to do it.
but the repeated choruses reveal the wolf's weakness, compared to the sparrow's strength: he knows and sees no joy in life, he only knows to look out and stay wary and to be strong and protect, while the sparrow is (implicitly) vulnerable to the vagaries of the world, she sees goodness and beauty, something the wolf is incapable of understanding, though the sparrow he hold very dear, once again implicitly because she had the heart he doesn't.
That's about right:)
@darkershores\r\nI agree with this interpretation
I get the impression this song speaks of divorce and possibly a kid that would be involved in it all; "and each held a wing then they tore it apart, before that small bird could sing"
I agree with jono13. Definitely seems to be about divorce. The kid involved seems to make sense as evident in the first verse with the issue of love in the second. "She turned in to him, begged for the love to remain,but plans have been made, all the furniture sold." The chorus seems to fit this divorce mold as well.
"she turned back to him, begged for love to remain" i think it is...
jono, thanks for sharing...this song makes me a bit melancholy, and his singing is outstanding.