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 am not a bird
I'm a murder of birds
Shifting my shape when your tongue forms the words
Like I hate you when I love you the most
Love you the most
Love you the most
The shape of the snake, in a defensive coil
The same retracted lips of the one foolish girl
Says she hates you when she loves you the most
Loves you the most
Loves you...
And I've got demons when I need 'ems
Don't ask to see them 'cause they're not supposed to be used against
You, Oh...
Can we build a safe house?
Far from the bitter bride
And we'll make a home with a brown recluse
And the cobra locked outside
To the spider we'll give a web
To the cobra, a lullaby
in keeping the demons happy
You may free for me to fly
In the shape of home baked bread
And a girl in a turned down bed
In a wick of twisted thread
For the loving words you said
And I think I'm alone in desire for grace
For you unleash your mood and I'm no longer safe
I say I hate you when I love you the most
Love you the most
Love you the most
The shape of my breast and the shape of my kiss
Dement and coil with a slither and hiss
I say I hate you when I love you the most
Love you the most
Love you
And I've got demons
When I need 'ems
Don't ask to see 'em, they're not supposed to be used against us
You, Oh....
Can we build a safe house?
Far from the bitter bride
And we'll make a home with a brown recluse
And the cobra locked outside
To the spider we'll give a web
To the cobra, a lullaby
in keeping the demons happy
You may free for me to fly
In the shape of home baked bread
And a girl in a turned down bed
Ind a wick of twisted thread
For the loving words you said
In the shape of home baked bread
And a girl in a turned down bed
In a wick of twisted thread
For the loving words you said
I am not a bird
I'm a murder of birds
I'm a murder of birds
Shifting my shape when your tongue forms the words
Like I hate you when I love you the most
Love you the most
Love you the most
The shape of the snake, in a defensive coil
The same retracted lips of the one foolish girl
Says she hates you when she loves you the most
Loves you the most
Loves you...
And I've got demons when I need 'ems
Don't ask to see them 'cause they're not supposed to be used against
You, Oh...
Can we build a safe house?
Far from the bitter bride
And we'll make a home with a brown recluse
And the cobra locked outside
To the spider we'll give a web
To the cobra, a lullaby
in keeping the demons happy
You may free for me to fly
In the shape of home baked bread
And a girl in a turned down bed
In a wick of twisted thread
For the loving words you said
And I think I'm alone in desire for grace
For you unleash your mood and I'm no longer safe
I say I hate you when I love you the most
Love you the most
Love you the most
The shape of my breast and the shape of my kiss
Dement and coil with a slither and hiss
I say I hate you when I love you the most
Love you the most
Love you
And I've got demons
When I need 'ems
Don't ask to see 'em, they're not supposed to be used against us
You, Oh....
Can we build a safe house?
Far from the bitter bride
And we'll make a home with a brown recluse
And the cobra locked outside
To the spider we'll give a web
To the cobra, a lullaby
in keeping the demons happy
You may free for me to fly
In the shape of home baked bread
And a girl in a turned down bed
Ind a wick of twisted thread
For the loving words you said
In the shape of home baked bread
And a girl in a turned down bed
In a wick of twisted thread
For the loving words you said
I am not a bird
I'm a murder of birds
Lyrics submitted by avataraera, edited by sacredgeometry
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Mountain Song
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I'm not a bird I'm a murder of birds Shifting my shape When your tongue findsthe words