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."
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me, she loves me
The lady loves me and it shows
In spite of the way she turns up her nose
I'm her ideal, her hearts desire
Under that ice she's burning like fire
She'd like to cuddle up to me
She's playing hard to get
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
The gentleman has savoir-faire
As much as an elephant or a bear
I'd like to take him for a spin
Back to the zoo to visit his kin
He's got about as much appeal as a soggy cigarette
The lady loathes him but he doesn't know it yet
The lady's got a crush on me
The gentleman's crazy obviously
The lady's dying to be kissed
The gentleman needs a psychiatrist
I'd rather kiss a rattlesnake
Or play Russian roulette
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
She's falling fast she's on the skids
Both of his heads are flipping their lids
Tonight she'll hold me in her arms
I'd rather be holding hydrogen bombs
Will someone tell this Romeo
I'm not his Juliet
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
She wants me
Like poison ivy
Needs me
Like a hole in the head
Everyone can see she's got it bad
He's mad!
The gentleman is an egotist
I'm simply aware I'm hard to resist
He's one man I could learn to hate
How's about having dinner at eight
I'd rather dine with Frankenstein
In a moonlight tete-a-tete
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
Oh yes she loves me
Dig that shrinking violet
Oh she really loves me
Here's one gal you'll never get
She lo- lo- loves me
Would you like to make a bet
I said the lady loves me
The gentleman's all wet
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me, she loves me
The lady loves me and it shows
In spite of the way she turns up her nose
I'm her ideal, her hearts desire
Under that ice she's burning like fire
She'd like to cuddle up to me
She's playing hard to get
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
The gentleman has savoir-faire
As much as an elephant or a bear
I'd like to take him for a spin
Back to the zoo to visit his kin
He's got about as much appeal as a soggy cigarette
The lady loathes him but he doesn't know it yet
The lady's got a crush on me
The gentleman's crazy obviously
The lady's dying to be kissed
The gentleman needs a psychiatrist
I'd rather kiss a rattlesnake
Or play Russian roulette
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
She's falling fast she's on the skids
Both of his heads are flipping their lids
Tonight she'll hold me in her arms
I'd rather be holding hydrogen bombs
Will someone tell this Romeo
I'm not his Juliet
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
She wants me
Like poison ivy
Needs me
Like a hole in the head
Everyone can see she's got it bad
He's mad!
The gentleman is an egotist
I'm simply aware I'm hard to resist
He's one man I could learn to hate
How's about having dinner at eight
I'd rather dine with Frankenstein
In a moonlight tete-a-tete
The lady loves me, but she doesn't know it yet
Oh yes she loves me
Dig that shrinking violet
Oh she really loves me
Here's one gal you'll never get
She lo- lo- loves me
Would you like to make a bet
I said the lady loves me
The gentleman's all wet
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
The Lady Loves Me Lyrics as written by Sid Tepper Roy C. Bennett
Lyrics © Raleigh Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.