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 know you and you know me
We met many years ago
In the halls of some ivy covered university
Where we both used to go
Now we stand outside the Denmark Hotel
With Japanese men in their business suits
It's midnight, you're talking to some Frenchman
About who does what to you know who
You want the big jack
You want the sky to crack
You want something that's going to give you
The big jack
You want the big jack
Hell we all want that
You want something that's going to give you
The big jack
You say you want to go somewhere
Where your ideals were much more than luxuries
ANd just like some great old paining
You set there so smug
With your hands between your knees
You want the big jack
You want the sky to crack
You want something that's going to give you
The big jack
You want the big jack
Hell, we all want that
You want something that's going to give you a
Heart attack
So go back down to that Mississippi town
Where you come from
Have a big time tonight
I can still see you in your father's coat
On the delta shore
That he once owned
I want to be your father's coat
I want you girl to marry me
I want the big jack
I want the sky to crack
I want something that's going to give me
The big jack
I want the big jack
Hell, we all want that
I want something that's going to give me a
Heart attack
I want the big jack
Yeah, we all want that
We want something that's going to give us the big jack
I want the big jack
I want the sky to crack
I want something that's going to give me the big jack
We met many years ago
In the halls of some ivy covered university
Where we both used to go
Now we stand outside the Denmark Hotel
With Japanese men in their business suits
It's midnight, you're talking to some Frenchman
About who does what to you know who
You want the big jack
You want the sky to crack
You want something that's going to give you
The big jack
You want the big jack
Hell we all want that
You want something that's going to give you
The big jack
You say you want to go somewhere
Where your ideals were much more than luxuries
ANd just like some great old paining
You set there so smug
With your hands between your knees
You want the big jack
You want the sky to crack
You want something that's going to give you
The big jack
You want the big jack
Hell, we all want that
You want something that's going to give you a
Heart attack
So go back down to that Mississippi town
Where you come from
Have a big time tonight
I can still see you in your father's coat
On the delta shore
That he once owned
I want to be your father's coat
I want you girl to marry me
I want the big jack
I want the sky to crack
I want something that's going to give me
The big jack
I want the big jack
Hell, we all want that
I want something that's going to give me a
Heart attack
I want the big jack
Yeah, we all want that
We want something that's going to give us the big jack
I want the big jack
I want the sky to crack
I want something that's going to give me the big jack
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
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