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."
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
All along that day
You gonna run to the sea
But the sea will be boiling
When you run to the sea
The sea will be boiling
The sea will be boiling
All along that day
You gonna run to the rocks
The rocks will be melting
When you run to the rocks
The rocks will be melting
The rocks will be melting
All that day
So I said
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
All along that day
You drink your big champagne and laugh
You drink your big champagne and laugh
You drink your big champagne and laugh
All along that day
I wouldn't like to be a flea
Under your collar man
I wouldn't like to be a flea
Under your collar man
I wouldn't like to be a flea
Under your collar man
All along that day
You can run but you can't hide
You can run but you can't hide
You can run but you can't hide
Telling you all along that day
You gonna run to the Lord
Beggin' to hide you
You gonna run to the Lord
Beggin' to hide you
You gonna run to the Lord
Beggin' to hide you
You gonna run to Jah
Beggin' to hide you
All, all along that day
And I said Downpresser Man
Where you gonna run to
Where you gonna run to Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
I said all along
All along, along that day Downpresser man
All along, along that day Downpresser man
All along, along that day Downpresser man
All along, along that day Downpresser man
Wait, Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
I don't know where you gonna run to
All along that day
Downpresser man
You can't run, you can't bribe Jah-Jah
Can't call him in a bar
Fe can drink some
Devil soup
Can't bribe him to run a car now
Can't test him faith
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
You can't bribe no one
Them no want no money
Them run'f money
That money get funny
Downpresser man's here
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
All along that day
You gonna run to the sea
But the sea will be boiling
When you run to the sea
The sea will be boiling
The sea will be boiling
All along that day
You gonna run to the rocks
The rocks will be melting
When you run to the rocks
The rocks will be melting
The rocks will be melting
All that day
So I said
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
All along that day
You drink your big champagne and laugh
You drink your big champagne and laugh
You drink your big champagne and laugh
All along that day
I wouldn't like to be a flea
Under your collar man
I wouldn't like to be a flea
Under your collar man
I wouldn't like to be a flea
Under your collar man
All along that day
You can run but you can't hide
You can run but you can't hide
You can run but you can't hide
Telling you all along that day
You gonna run to the Lord
Beggin' to hide you
You gonna run to the Lord
Beggin' to hide you
You gonna run to the Lord
Beggin' to hide you
You gonna run to Jah
Beggin' to hide you
All, all along that day
And I said Downpresser Man
Where you gonna run to
Where you gonna run to Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
I said all along
All along, along that day Downpresser man
All along, along that day Downpresser man
All along, along that day Downpresser man
All along, along that day Downpresser man
Wait, Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
I don't know where you gonna run to
All along that day
Downpresser man
You can't run, you can't bribe Jah-Jah
Can't call him in a bar
Fe can drink some
Devil soup
Can't bribe him to run a car now
Can't test him faith
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Downpresser man
Where you gonna run to
Downpresser man
You can't bribe no one
Them no want no money
Them run'f money
That money get funny
Downpresser man's here
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Downpressor Lyrics as written by Peter Tosh
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
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.
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.
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.