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."
Oh the river, oh the river, it's running free
And oh the joy, oh the joy it brings to me
But I know it'll have to drown me
Before it can breathe easy
And I've seen it in the flights of birds
I've seen it in you, in the entrails of the animals
The blood running through, but in order to get to the heart
I think sometimes you have to cut through (but you can)
You can, we can, we can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand, 'cause I am
Odyssey on odyssey and land over land
Creeping and crawling like the sea over sand
Still I follow heartlines on your hand
This fantasy, this fallacy, this tumbling stone
Echoes of a city that's long overgrown
Your heart is the only place that I call home
Can I be returned? You can
You can, we can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
What a thing to do
Ooh, what a thing to choose
But know, in some way, I'm there with you
Up against the wall on a Wednesday afternoon
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
'Cause I am
And oh the joy, oh the joy it brings to me
But I know it'll have to drown me
Before it can breathe easy
And I've seen it in the flights of birds
I've seen it in you, in the entrails of the animals
The blood running through, but in order to get to the heart
I think sometimes you have to cut through (but you can)
You can, we can, we can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand, 'cause I am
Odyssey on odyssey and land over land
Creeping and crawling like the sea over sand
Still I follow heartlines on your hand
This fantasy, this fallacy, this tumbling stone
Echoes of a city that's long overgrown
Your heart is the only place that I call home
Can I be returned? You can
You can, we can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
What a thing to do
Ooh, what a thing to choose
But know, in some way, I'm there with you
Up against the wall on a Wednesday afternoon
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
Keep it up, I know you can
Just keep following
The heartlines on your hand
'Cause I am
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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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
"Your heart is the only place that I call home."
That's beautiful.