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 think it was me it must have been me
I guess I did something wrong
I tried too hard
Wanted too much
I guess that's why it's gone
I lost my pride, I fought and cried
I felt like a little kid
What's wrong with me?
Still can't believe
I did the things I did
I couldn't change him
He was gonna break my heart
I saw it coming
Yeah I knew it from the start
When you love (when you love)
When you love someone like that, when you give what you can't take back
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love someone like that, when you love someone like that
Girl it ain't right, it just ain't right
Don't tell yourself that it was you
You followed your heart,you gave it your best
There's nothing more you can do
Guys like him are like the wind
And you know it's just too bad
They blow in and out again and never know what they had
Girl I can tell ya
He'll do the same to someone else it ain't about you
So don't be so hard on yourself
When you love (when you love)
When you love someone like that, when you give what you can't take back
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love someone like that, when you love someone like that
Oh we've all loved and lost
It's happened to us all
I hear what you're saying but I feel like the only one
You might feel right but you're not
You're alright (I'm alright)
You're OK (I'm OK)
You're gonna make it anyway (both)
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love (when you love)
When you love someone like that, when you give what you can't take back
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love someone like that, when you love someone like that
You're alright (I'm alright)
You're OK (I'm OK)
When you love someone like that... When you love
I guess I did something wrong
I tried too hard
Wanted too much
I guess that's why it's gone
I lost my pride, I fought and cried
I felt like a little kid
What's wrong with me?
Still can't believe
I did the things I did
I couldn't change him
He was gonna break my heart
I saw it coming
Yeah I knew it from the start
When you love (when you love)
When you love someone like that, when you give what you can't take back
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love someone like that, when you love someone like that
Girl it ain't right, it just ain't right
Don't tell yourself that it was you
You followed your heart,you gave it your best
There's nothing more you can do
Guys like him are like the wind
And you know it's just too bad
They blow in and out again and never know what they had
Girl I can tell ya
He'll do the same to someone else it ain't about you
So don't be so hard on yourself
When you love (when you love)
When you love someone like that, when you give what you can't take back
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love someone like that, when you love someone like that
Oh we've all loved and lost
It's happened to us all
I hear what you're saying but I feel like the only one
You might feel right but you're not
You're alright (I'm alright)
You're OK (I'm OK)
You're gonna make it anyway (both)
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love (when you love)
When you love someone like that, when you give what you can't take back
When you love (when you love)
With all your heart and soul, it's so hard to let it go
When you love someone like that, when you love someone like that
You're alright (I'm alright)
You're OK (I'm OK)
When you love someone like that... When you love
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
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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.
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.
Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.