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."
Y'all already know what this is homeboy
No no no no no nigga
Fuck what you heard homeboy
Real niggas on deck
Goons is out nigga hey
We do a hundred on the highway
Switching lane after lane
If the po po come in let em
Ain't no stopping today
We brought them horses out tonight (hey)
Them big blocks dude
Cam phone pipes (hey)
I know you here em
Please who in your room would trade places with me
If I ain't what ya trying to be than why you hustling see
To be young black and rich
If that ain't the combination
Tell me when it switched
I need to know (listen)
Maybe the problem is your thinking to small
You niggas only wanna rap and that's all
Your only goal is to buy out the mall
I go and buy me a mall
You want the stuff for the summer
I'm goin' buy me the fall
And get a Myspace lick (yeah)
You know how many hits Myspace gets (yeah)
Man it's like I'm hurting feelings just by telling the truth
I'm hurting feelings in and out of this booth
Now listen
[Chorus]
You see me sitting in the turning lane (whooo)
Yours big but mine bigger man
You wanna brag about a lil change
You need to step up your game lil boy
You better Hold up [Repeat: x6]
You better sit your ass down
You better Hold up [Repeat: x6]
You better sit your ass down
Well pac I see these haters watching me
But I ain't tripping ya'll see there ain't no stopping me
Weigh in the middle
And I'm steady buying property
I got land to catch me you hit the lottery
Niggas so stop playing
Boy I ride what I want to and ye ain't know
See me buying what I want to
Walk out the store 100 thousand in my pocket
You can tell how I want
I ball like a dog
Horsing at the red light
On chrome drop top candy red type
Four fifty four nigga want better bring it home
(fresh off vacation all this hate got me paranoid)
Yeah better know it
Wanna bring it you ain't ready for it
No right now what's ya tell em go get boy
And lights out
And nigga I ain't playing with ya
Come any day I'll hit ya
Don't let me pull up on ya in that turning lane nigga
[Chorus:]
My bread stack high like mike in NBA highlights
Man just means jacuzzi bubbling with sky lights
Smoke cool L jueal kill a niggas eye sight
Wal mart stops in eight seven like damn right
My wrist stay glistening
Two birds kissing
I'm sick of all this money somebody call a physician in
The American dream I'm with niggas is visioning
You clowns ain't making it rain it's just drizzling
Acting like I ain't paid what you talking bout
I throw a party at the bank walk a million out
Got over thirty movies what you think you doing to me
You sold a couple records how you think you gon' do me
You know I'm in shape I slap you you gon' try and sue me
I buy you off slide off with your lil cutie
All the money is a god damn new sense
Look at my career yeah I'm the blueprint
[Chorus]
No no no no no nigga
Fuck what you heard homeboy
Real niggas on deck
Goons is out nigga hey
We do a hundred on the highway
Switching lane after lane
If the po po come in let em
Ain't no stopping today
We brought them horses out tonight (hey)
Them big blocks dude
Cam phone pipes (hey)
I know you here em
Please who in your room would trade places with me
If I ain't what ya trying to be than why you hustling see
To be young black and rich
If that ain't the combination
Tell me when it switched
I need to know (listen)
Maybe the problem is your thinking to small
You niggas only wanna rap and that's all
Your only goal is to buy out the mall
I go and buy me a mall
You want the stuff for the summer
I'm goin' buy me the fall
And get a Myspace lick (yeah)
You know how many hits Myspace gets (yeah)
Man it's like I'm hurting feelings just by telling the truth
I'm hurting feelings in and out of this booth
Now listen
[Chorus]
You see me sitting in the turning lane (whooo)
Yours big but mine bigger man
You wanna brag about a lil change
You need to step up your game lil boy
You better Hold up [Repeat: x6]
You better sit your ass down
You better Hold up [Repeat: x6]
You better sit your ass down
Well pac I see these haters watching me
But I ain't tripping ya'll see there ain't no stopping me
Weigh in the middle
And I'm steady buying property
I got land to catch me you hit the lottery
Niggas so stop playing
Boy I ride what I want to and ye ain't know
See me buying what I want to
Walk out the store 100 thousand in my pocket
You can tell how I want
I ball like a dog
Horsing at the red light
On chrome drop top candy red type
Four fifty four nigga want better bring it home
(fresh off vacation all this hate got me paranoid)
Yeah better know it
Wanna bring it you ain't ready for it
No right now what's ya tell em go get boy
And lights out
And nigga I ain't playing with ya
Come any day I'll hit ya
Don't let me pull up on ya in that turning lane nigga
[Chorus:]
My bread stack high like mike in NBA highlights
Man just means jacuzzi bubbling with sky lights
Smoke cool L jueal kill a niggas eye sight
Wal mart stops in eight seven like damn right
My wrist stay glistening
Two birds kissing
I'm sick of all this money somebody call a physician in
The American dream I'm with niggas is visioning
You clowns ain't making it rain it's just drizzling
Acting like I ain't paid what you talking bout
I throw a party at the bank walk a million out
Got over thirty movies what you think you doing to me
You sold a couple records how you think you gon' do me
You know I'm in shape I slap you you gon' try and sue me
I buy you off slide off with your lil cutie
All the money is a god damn new sense
Look at my career yeah I'm the blueprint
[Chorus]
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Hold Up Lyrics as written by Rodney Jerkins Nelly Furtado
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
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
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.