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."
Dear coke, what's the deal, how you've been
It been ? seconds since we get it in
You know I kinda been but you know what
This music is promising, I'm about to blow up
But I ain't ? drippin' in my own trucks, tryin' to get more bucks
? we had it so nut, you ain't get no cut, still you ? for me
You was happy that we both lived conformably
? nigga they still getting ? they had the whole block
? like the chicken pot, hey ? remember we used to get in the pot
Come now ? how many ? niggas ?
Like how many ways to gettting money like niggas got
And I'll be ? I suppost to six o'clock, but no
It's been me and my dudes since day one,
We look for the parties, step up the game son
Sometimes I wonder if you miss you, man I miss me
Even though I like to risk you
(Cocaine)
My due ain't push come the show
The reason all I these clouds looking the club
When they stop the V, heard you're f*ck with
? fucking with you, I know what you probably do,
She was always snipping around, back in the day
? she know my game you play
I know I got a feelin' running back for more
Knowing you dirty ass you probably been there
So she open, me I'm still in date in this music
Take all my time and these girls ain't got patience
But fucking bitches what's about with this snitches
These niggas tell me there must be a new day
Use the ? to pay for yellin' nut I ain't fell in ?
If they knew how to ?
But they did it, couldn't be different
I thought about that ? missin'
(Cocaine)
Guess what I'm tryin to say is I'm done
We had fun, no to sound like jerk without one
I'm doing things the right way â??cause you showed me wrong
The people ? my stories when I play the song
And when the row ? I'm still holding on,
Till I'm about to ? sky is the limit but you know ..beyond
But God forbid that, I never win ? I'm back in the hood
Picking ? left door
If things don't go right ? for
Serve the things ? hey you coke ? get up the beds
? never forgot where I came from
? change from (Cocaine)
That's his name son.
It been ? seconds since we get it in
You know I kinda been but you know what
This music is promising, I'm about to blow up
But I ain't ? drippin' in my own trucks, tryin' to get more bucks
? we had it so nut, you ain't get no cut, still you ? for me
You was happy that we both lived conformably
? nigga they still getting ? they had the whole block
? like the chicken pot, hey ? remember we used to get in the pot
Come now ? how many ? niggas ?
Like how many ways to gettting money like niggas got
And I'll be ? I suppost to six o'clock, but no
It's been me and my dudes since day one,
We look for the parties, step up the game son
Sometimes I wonder if you miss you, man I miss me
Even though I like to risk you
(Cocaine)
My due ain't push come the show
The reason all I these clouds looking the club
When they stop the V, heard you're f*ck with
? fucking with you, I know what you probably do,
She was always snipping around, back in the day
? she know my game you play
I know I got a feelin' running back for more
Knowing you dirty ass you probably been there
So she open, me I'm still in date in this music
Take all my time and these girls ain't got patience
But fucking bitches what's about with this snitches
These niggas tell me there must be a new day
Use the ? to pay for yellin' nut I ain't fell in ?
If they knew how to ?
But they did it, couldn't be different
I thought about that ? missin'
(Cocaine)
Guess what I'm tryin to say is I'm done
We had fun, no to sound like jerk without one
I'm doing things the right way â??cause you showed me wrong
The people ? my stories when I play the song
And when the row ? I'm still holding on,
Till I'm about to ? sky is the limit but you know ..beyond
But God forbid that, I never win ? I'm back in the hood
Picking ? left door
If things don't go right ? for
Serve the things ? hey you coke ? get up the beds
? never forgot where I came from
? change from (Cocaine)
That's his name son.
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
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.
Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.