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 left Houston, Texas on a gulf coast hurricane I was blowed down by a
Tornado washed up by the rain well my pappy wasn't happy with mehe told me to go
So I stole my daddy's Cadillac and head on down the road I had a grin from ear
To ear with each and every mile I was headed for the border man and I was going
Down in style
Now I hit Corpus Christi and the wind was at my back I drove them
Women crazy with my daddy's Cadillac ya I cruised them down that boulevard I
Treated them like queens took em all the places that they wanted to be seen and
When I had to leave em I'd tell with a smile im headed for the border man and
I'm going down in style
Well you gotta take your chances if they ever come along close your
Eyes and listen to the great big engine wind it dont really matter weather you
Are right or wrong cause when you cross the border man you leave this world
Behind
I stomped on down the peddle set the cruise control 500 raging horses
Be on by the state patrol lord the sirens were a screaming lights flashing red
There's a dozen more waitin at the road block up ahead had them scattering like
Chickens a heard one of them say he's headed toward the border and he's going
Down in style
Now when you cross the border you ain't never coming back there ain't to
Redemption when the cops are on your tail when the closest thing to heaven is a
Great big Cadillac the city lights of Houston or the firey gates of hell well
The nabbed me on the hill that over looks the Rio Grande and I was feeling just
Like moses looking on the promise land well they hauled me back to Houston put
Me in the jail where my momma started crying my daddy paid the bail well I'm
Sorry I'm not there to hear the outcome of my trial cause I'm headed for the
Border man and I'm going down in style
Tornado washed up by the rain well my pappy wasn't happy with mehe told me to go
So I stole my daddy's Cadillac and head on down the road I had a grin from ear
To ear with each and every mile I was headed for the border man and I was going
Down in style
Now I hit Corpus Christi and the wind was at my back I drove them
Women crazy with my daddy's Cadillac ya I cruised them down that boulevard I
Treated them like queens took em all the places that they wanted to be seen and
When I had to leave em I'd tell with a smile im headed for the border man and
I'm going down in style
Well you gotta take your chances if they ever come along close your
Eyes and listen to the great big engine wind it dont really matter weather you
Are right or wrong cause when you cross the border man you leave this world
Behind
I stomped on down the peddle set the cruise control 500 raging horses
Be on by the state patrol lord the sirens were a screaming lights flashing red
There's a dozen more waitin at the road block up ahead had them scattering like
Chickens a heard one of them say he's headed toward the border and he's going
Down in style
Now when you cross the border you ain't never coming back there ain't to
Redemption when the cops are on your tail when the closest thing to heaven is a
Great big Cadillac the city lights of Houston or the firey gates of hell well
The nabbed me on the hill that over looks the Rio Grande and I was feeling just
Like moses looking on the promise land well they hauled me back to Houston put
Me in the jail where my momma started crying my daddy paid the bail well I'm
Sorry I'm not there to hear the outcome of my trial cause I'm headed for the
Border man and I'm going down in style
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
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Mountain Song
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