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."
[Big V]
One of them is fat and loud
second one is black and proud
Third one's drunk and wild
fourth one slip and slid
one of them is just shy
last one is young and wise
homegrown battle tested you gonna love these guys
brought the hood on them guys
the best story told yet bonded against all odds
ain't no tearin them apart
swore (?) till death do them in
even in reincarnation they would do it again
[Ron Clutch]
Who would ever thought six different strands
would lock together locked forever
rockin leathery wood told you chicken and cris go good
with some watermelon albums sellin coast to coast
across the seas gave everything we could
our tears our sweat our blood, 'cause
[Chorus]
I am because we are
we are because I am
Everbody say
We are on a holiday
Now throw your hands to the sky
turn up the music just ride
we representin right
we are on a holiday
we are because I am
I am because we are
Hey, its Nappy Roots Day!
we are on a holiday
Now throw your hands to the sky
bounce to the music we ride
we represintin right
We are on a holiday
[B. Stille (R. Prophit)]
Now we stronger than wood, playa (we tougher than leather)
Us yeaga's hustle together (uh uh not just for the cheddar)
Look here we trustin each other (Sayin "um you fuck with my brother?)
you gotta suffer the reprocutions we come from the gutter
(white kangol white glass six stripped suit with the matching)
boots came from the ostrich blowin smoke out the nostrals
(havin trouble with student loans we struggle for too long)
but now we can move on put that on my tombstone
(we are because I am ain't hard to understand it)
far from a shootin star (rather play on my planet)
Power respect (demanded)
to us nothing was hand
(play it as loud as you can and say just how we played it)
[Chorus]
[R. Prophit]
Bring out your kids and just treat em
cotton candy plus freedom
raised by (?) and feed em
sweet as Shirly Temple singin
Clown on the charoselle
Spin on the ferris wheel
Its magic floatin, smokin, take up a call from Fish Scales
[Fish Scales]
Man, we liven straight
real playas and real estates
weapons we put away
we reachin out with nappy days
[R. Prophit]
Sparklers light up the dark fireworks in the park
[Fish Scales]
Shrimp ala car red wine holly tart
Like soldiers comin home
Watchin after the war is gone
skys raining confetti
singing out the nappy meddle
get rid of felonies
wash em away with melodies
irish to ebonies
haitians to the lebonese
[Skinny Deville]
As I jot down in my note pad some day considered important to me
the birth of my son the day I signed my first recording agreement
it was sorta like my soul to the devil
and I was allowing him to keep it
but the true essence of this art form can't be confined to temptation and evil
lots of folks on the grind to this bullshit and my real yeagas stuck around
so this days a tribute a celebration
I am because we all stay down
Shit, I am gonna keep it Nappy 365 and 7 days a week
we fortunate to make it out that trap because the forest roots they runnin deep
[Chorus till fade]
One of them is fat and loud
second one is black and proud
Third one's drunk and wild
fourth one slip and slid
one of them is just shy
last one is young and wise
homegrown battle tested you gonna love these guys
brought the hood on them guys
the best story told yet bonded against all odds
ain't no tearin them apart
swore (?) till death do them in
even in reincarnation they would do it again
[Ron Clutch]
Who would ever thought six different strands
would lock together locked forever
rockin leathery wood told you chicken and cris go good
with some watermelon albums sellin coast to coast
across the seas gave everything we could
our tears our sweat our blood, 'cause
[Chorus]
I am because we are
we are because I am
Everbody say
We are on a holiday
Now throw your hands to the sky
turn up the music just ride
we representin right
we are on a holiday
we are because I am
I am because we are
Hey, its Nappy Roots Day!
we are on a holiday
Now throw your hands to the sky
bounce to the music we ride
we represintin right
We are on a holiday
[B. Stille (R. Prophit)]
Now we stronger than wood, playa (we tougher than leather)
Us yeaga's hustle together (uh uh not just for the cheddar)
Look here we trustin each other (Sayin "um you fuck with my brother?)
you gotta suffer the reprocutions we come from the gutter
(white kangol white glass six stripped suit with the matching)
boots came from the ostrich blowin smoke out the nostrals
(havin trouble with student loans we struggle for too long)
but now we can move on put that on my tombstone
(we are because I am ain't hard to understand it)
far from a shootin star (rather play on my planet)
Power respect (demanded)
to us nothing was hand
(play it as loud as you can and say just how we played it)
[Chorus]
[R. Prophit]
Bring out your kids and just treat em
cotton candy plus freedom
raised by (?) and feed em
sweet as Shirly Temple singin
Clown on the charoselle
Spin on the ferris wheel
Its magic floatin, smokin, take up a call from Fish Scales
[Fish Scales]
Man, we liven straight
real playas and real estates
weapons we put away
we reachin out with nappy days
[R. Prophit]
Sparklers light up the dark fireworks in the park
[Fish Scales]
Shrimp ala car red wine holly tart
Like soldiers comin home
Watchin after the war is gone
skys raining confetti
singing out the nappy meddle
get rid of felonies
wash em away with melodies
irish to ebonies
haitians to the lebonese
[Skinny Deville]
As I jot down in my note pad some day considered important to me
the birth of my son the day I signed my first recording agreement
it was sorta like my soul to the devil
and I was allowing him to keep it
but the true essence of this art form can't be confined to temptation and evil
lots of folks on the grind to this bullshit and my real yeagas stuck around
so this days a tribute a celebration
I am because we all stay down
Shit, I am gonna keep it Nappy 365 and 7 days a week
we fortunate to make it out that trap because the forest roots they runnin deep
[Chorus till fade]
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Nappy Roots Day Lyrics as written by Barry Gibb Robin Gibb
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, 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,
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.
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.
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.