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."
When me reach me yard
Me got one thing on me mind,
To hold me little woman
And fe make her feel iree.
Be play album, dub plate, and forty-five
For dat's the kind of riddim that keeps me alive.
Me turn on fe me radio
Some a chat 'bout dat
But I know more than D.J.
So I nah play you dat.
[Chorus]
Me tek a 'D' and a 'U'
An' a 'B', not 'E'
That thing there
Is special to me.
Me listen in the morning
Also in the night
For dat form of music
Is outta sight.
The newest form of music
Is easy to see
It start with a 'D'
And end with a 'B'
Dub in a de morning
And dub in a de night
Mek the whole neighborhood
Feel alright, feel alright
When me reach me yard
Me got one thing on me mind,
To hold me little woman
And fe mek her fell ire.
When me reach me yard
Me got one thing on me mind,
To hold me little woman
And fe mek her fell ire.
[Chorus]
Rock in a de dance
Me seh fe give dub a chance,
Rock in de blues
You know you jus' can't lose.
A dub me a defend
On dub I can depend
Check out dis yeah music
And run tell yo' friend.
We don't want rock 'n' roll
And we got enough soul,
We don't want rock 'n' roll
And we got enough soul.
Bass is beautiful
If it's clean,
But dis yeah dub music
Man, it well mean.
No bother follow friend
And ignore dub again.
It's simple, but effective
Can't you see?
A lot of people catch on in 'eight-three.
Now is 'eighty-four
And you must know the score,
Anything me chat, you know
The people bawl 'more.'
Me jump 'pon de graphics
Don't get vex'
All me have
A total concept
To make you feel
Ire.
To make you feel
Ire.
Me got one thing on me mind,
To hold me little woman
And fe make her feel iree.
Be play album, dub plate, and forty-five
For dat's the kind of riddim that keeps me alive.
Me turn on fe me radio
Some a chat 'bout dat
But I know more than D.J.
So I nah play you dat.
[Chorus]
Me tek a 'D' and a 'U'
An' a 'B', not 'E'
That thing there
Is special to me.
Me listen in the morning
Also in the night
For dat form of music
Is outta sight.
The newest form of music
Is easy to see
It start with a 'D'
And end with a 'B'
Dub in a de morning
And dub in a de night
Mek the whole neighborhood
Feel alright, feel alright
When me reach me yard
Me got one thing on me mind,
To hold me little woman
And fe mek her fell ire.
When me reach me yard
Me got one thing on me mind,
To hold me little woman
And fe mek her fell ire.
[Chorus]
Rock in a de dance
Me seh fe give dub a chance,
Rock in de blues
You know you jus' can't lose.
A dub me a defend
On dub I can depend
Check out dis yeah music
And run tell yo' friend.
We don't want rock 'n' roll
And we got enough soul,
We don't want rock 'n' roll
And we got enough soul.
Bass is beautiful
If it's clean,
But dis yeah dub music
Man, it well mean.
No bother follow friend
And ignore dub again.
It's simple, but effective
Can't you see?
A lot of people catch on in 'eight-three.
Now is 'eighty-four
And you must know the score,
Anything me chat, you know
The people bawl 'more.'
Me jump 'pon de graphics
Don't get vex'
All me have
A total concept
To make you feel
Ire.
To make you feel
Ire.
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Orchestral Dub Lyrics as written by Campbell Brown
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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No Surprises
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Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental 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.