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."
Boys in the street are talkin' about leavin', they're leavin'
Lookin' for places to go
Boys in the street are talkin' about leavin', they're leavin'
Lookin' for places to go
Andy built his coffin down in Carolina
Told me he was runnin' from somethin'
But I think he's just out chasin' girls
When Mary moved all of her shit to Chicago
Her mother made sure that she left with her Bible but
You won't find her face on Sundays
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
Is it any wonder why we all leave home?
People say, "I knew you when you were six years old"
And you say, "But I've changed, I've changed, I've changed, I've changed."
Mom and Dad, if only you could see me now
Been here for a year and now I own this town
Cause I've changed, I've changed, I've changed, I've changed.
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
One day we'll all be ghosts
Trippin' around in someone else's home
One day we'll all be ghosts, ghosts, ghosts
Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts
One day we'll all be found
No longer lost, we're just hangin' around
One day we'll all be found, found, found,
Found, found, found
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-da
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-da
Lookin' for places to go
Boys in the street are talkin' about leavin', they're leavin'
Lookin' for places to go
Andy built his coffin down in Carolina
Told me he was runnin' from somethin'
But I think he's just out chasin' girls
When Mary moved all of her shit to Chicago
Her mother made sure that she left with her Bible but
You won't find her face on Sundays
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
Is it any wonder why we all leave home?
People say, "I knew you when you were six years old"
And you say, "But I've changed, I've changed, I've changed, I've changed."
Mom and Dad, if only you could see me now
Been here for a year and now I own this town
Cause I've changed, I've changed, I've changed, I've changed.
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
Du du du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
All my friends are talkin' about leavin', about leavin'
But all my friends are sittin' in their graves
One day we'll all be ghosts
Trippin' around in someone else's home
One day we'll all be ghosts, ghosts, ghosts
Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts
One day we'll all be found
No longer lost, we're just hangin' around
One day we'll all be found, found, found,
Found, found, found
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-da
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-dap, ba-dap ba ba-da-da,
Ba-da
Lyrics submitted by loveandrockets
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This song is about people who want to leave their town but he knows that all they're doing is talk and they're living where they'll eventually be buried.
That being sayed he's talking to people who "knew him when he was 6 years old" so he's still living in the same place even though he sayed he was gonna leave but he's still there.
It's about people who only dream about a new life and having the courage to leave the life they were born in to, but in reality they're too cowardly to really put themselves out there and grow up. They might as well be ghosts for all the adventure they'll never have in their life and the fact that they'll make no difference in the world by the time they die. "One day we'll all be found" ends it on a happier note-- at least when they really do die, they'll go up to heaven because these people ARE good people, and then they'll be in eternal peace.