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."
Christopher Columbus was a sailor and a scholar
He stumbled on the new world after he ran out of water
He said: "Be brave my noble men!
You have nothing to fear!
I said we'd reach the Indies
And by God's good grace we're here!"
Little did he know he had arrived in what would be America!
Columbus met the natives and they traded subtle greetings
He brought them Christianity and fancy new diseases
He aptly placed his tattered flag into the native soil.
He called the natives "Indians" and left them there to toil!
Little did they know he wasn't right - 'cause he was in America!
Back among the nobles he was telling them the story
Feasting on a pheasant and a basket full of glory
A nobleman was angry and he sought to switch the focus
He said: "This fluke is cause to call your expedition bogus!
For any fool could sail across the sea...and stumble on America!"
Asking for an egg he laid a wager on the table
To make the egg stand upward self assured no one was able
And try he may and try he might the noble couldn't do it
Columbus took the egg and with a wink he tried to prove it.
He took the egg and cracked the bottom in
And left it there to stand on end!
Columbus started laughing and the noble almost fainted
'Cause anything is obvious when someone else explains it.
Columbus was a legend in the land
But he was just a normal man.
New ideas
Aren't always greeted with an open ear
But then as soon as it's an old idea
Everybody loves the pioneer
And as the world keeps turning 'round it gets
Harder to explain
For every simple question
There's a pioneer made!
He stumbled on the new world after he ran out of water
He said: "Be brave my noble men!
You have nothing to fear!
I said we'd reach the Indies
And by God's good grace we're here!"
Little did he know he had arrived in what would be America!
Columbus met the natives and they traded subtle greetings
He brought them Christianity and fancy new diseases
He aptly placed his tattered flag into the native soil.
He called the natives "Indians" and left them there to toil!
Little did they know he wasn't right - 'cause he was in America!
Back among the nobles he was telling them the story
Feasting on a pheasant and a basket full of glory
A nobleman was angry and he sought to switch the focus
He said: "This fluke is cause to call your expedition bogus!
For any fool could sail across the sea...and stumble on America!"
Asking for an egg he laid a wager on the table
To make the egg stand upward self assured no one was able
And try he may and try he might the noble couldn't do it
Columbus took the egg and with a wink he tried to prove it.
He took the egg and cracked the bottom in
And left it there to stand on end!
Columbus started laughing and the noble almost fainted
'Cause anything is obvious when someone else explains it.
Columbus was a legend in the land
But he was just a normal man.
New ideas
Aren't always greeted with an open ear
But then as soon as it's an old idea
Everybody loves the pioneer
And as the world keeps turning 'round it gets
Harder to explain
For every simple question
There's a pioneer made!
Lyrics submitted by meloy2011
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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,
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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.