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."
Finally found a fella
Almost completely divine
But his vocabulary
Is killin' this romance of mine
We get into an intimate situation
And then begins this Romeo's conversation
He says, "Murder," he says
Every time we kiss
He says, "Murder," he says
At a time like this
He says, "Murder," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Solid," he says
Takes me in his arms
And says, "Solid," he says
Meanin' all my charms
He says, "Solid," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Chick, chick, you torture me
Zoot! Are we livin'?"
I'm thinkin' o' leavin' him flat
He says, "Dig, dig, the jumps the old
Ticker is givin'"
Now, he can talk plainer than that
He says, "Murder,"' he says
Every time we kiss
He says, "Murder," he says
Keep it up like this
And that's, "Murder," he says
In that impossible tone
It will bring on nobody's murder but his own
He says, "Jackson," he says
And my name's Marie
He says, "Jackson," he says
'Shoot the snoot to me'
He says, "Jackson," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Woof, woof," he says
When he likes my hat
He says, "Tsk, tsk," he says
What the heck is that?
He says, "Wooh, wooh," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Hep, hep, with helium
Now babe, we're cookin'"
And other expressions to wit
He says, "We're in da groove
And da groove is good lookin'"
He sounds like his uppers don't fit
He says, "Murder"
He says, "Murder"
And the way he says, "Murder"
In that impossible tone
I've told him over and over and over again
That it'll be nobody else's murder but his own
Almost completely divine
But his vocabulary
Is killin' this romance of mine
We get into an intimate situation
And then begins this Romeo's conversation
He says, "Murder," he says
Every time we kiss
He says, "Murder," he says
At a time like this
He says, "Murder," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Solid," he says
Takes me in his arms
And says, "Solid," he says
Meanin' all my charms
He says, "Solid," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Chick, chick, you torture me
Zoot! Are we livin'?"
I'm thinkin' o' leavin' him flat
He says, "Dig, dig, the jumps the old
Ticker is givin'"
Now, he can talk plainer than that
He says, "Murder,"' he says
Every time we kiss
He says, "Murder," he says
Keep it up like this
And that's, "Murder," he says
In that impossible tone
It will bring on nobody's murder but his own
He says, "Jackson," he says
And my name's Marie
He says, "Jackson," he says
'Shoot the snoot to me'
He says, "Jackson," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Woof, woof," he says
When he likes my hat
He says, "Tsk, tsk," he says
What the heck is that?
He says, "Wooh, wooh," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Hep, hep, with helium
Now babe, we're cookin'"
And other expressions to wit
He says, "We're in da groove
And da groove is good lookin'"
He sounds like his uppers don't fit
He says, "Murder"
He says, "Murder"
And the way he says, "Murder"
In that impossible tone
I've told him over and over and over again
That it'll be nobody else's murder but his own
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Murder, He Says Lyrics as written by Jimmy Mchugh Frank Loesser
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
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.