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'm addicted to bad decisions
I just can't ever help myself
But this is different
It sounds so convincing
She's good for you, so good for us as well
You'd be the taste lingering on my lips
It'd be my hands clinging to your hips
I gotta get, get, get it out
Gotta get me out
Find the flaws, find the switch, just shut it down
Would it matter if you couldn't go back?
But you never even thought to ask
So I think if you would
Then I think that you should
Remember, remember, remember
(The blameless are not honest here)
You've done this all to get her
(If you take this slow then she won't know)
Remember the imposters and pretenders
(The blameless are not modest here)
Could never have done this to get her
So go get her!
Is it possible to forget your name?
The identity running through your veins
Was it worth these ends, to play this part?
I never thought I could get this far
Abandon the old and bring in the new
But a sinking ship drowns every person here
Including you
And you tell yourself you were wrong when it hurts
But the unoriginal you would have never worked
Oh, you're the lucky one
It's gonna show when the stains bleed through
She's gonna know this was never you
Gotta get, get, get it out
Gotta get me out
Just can't seem to shut, shut, shut it down
But the stains stay the same and just reappear
But I can keep this up all night for you dear
Gotta get, get, get me out
Gotta get it out
Find the flaws, find the switch, just shut it down
Remember, remember, remember
(The blameless are not honest here)
You've done this all to get her
So go get her!
Is it possible to forget your name?
The identity running through your veins
Was it worth these ends, to play this part?
I never thought I could get this far
Abandon the old and bring in the new
But a sinking ship drowns every person here
Including you
And you tell yourself it was wrong when it hurts
But the unoriginal you would have never worked
Oh you're the lucky one
You're the lucky one
Someone would love you so much
That they'd come undone
Oh you're the lucky one
I'm addicted to bad decisions
I just can't ever help myself
Always thought I could fix the edges
But I'm torn and there's nothing left
I just can't stand the thought of you this way
So I said the things I thought would make you stay
But I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong
Is it possible to forget your name?
The identity running through your veins
Was it worth these ends, to play this part?
I never thought I could get this far
Abandon the old and bring in the new
But a sinking ship drowns every person here
Including you
And you tell yourself you were wrong when it hurts
But the unoriginal you would have never worked
You're so unoriginal, it would have never worked
I just can't ever help myself
But this is different
It sounds so convincing
She's good for you, so good for us as well
You'd be the taste lingering on my lips
It'd be my hands clinging to your hips
I gotta get, get, get it out
Gotta get me out
Find the flaws, find the switch, just shut it down
Would it matter if you couldn't go back?
But you never even thought to ask
So I think if you would
Then I think that you should
Remember, remember, remember
(The blameless are not honest here)
You've done this all to get her
(If you take this slow then she won't know)
Remember the imposters and pretenders
(The blameless are not modest here)
Could never have done this to get her
So go get her!
Is it possible to forget your name?
The identity running through your veins
Was it worth these ends, to play this part?
I never thought I could get this far
Abandon the old and bring in the new
But a sinking ship drowns every person here
Including you
And you tell yourself you were wrong when it hurts
But the unoriginal you would have never worked
Oh, you're the lucky one
It's gonna show when the stains bleed through
She's gonna know this was never you
Gotta get, get, get it out
Gotta get me out
Just can't seem to shut, shut, shut it down
But the stains stay the same and just reappear
But I can keep this up all night for you dear
Gotta get, get, get me out
Gotta get it out
Find the flaws, find the switch, just shut it down
Remember, remember, remember
(The blameless are not honest here)
You've done this all to get her
So go get her!
Is it possible to forget your name?
The identity running through your veins
Was it worth these ends, to play this part?
I never thought I could get this far
Abandon the old and bring in the new
But a sinking ship drowns every person here
Including you
And you tell yourself it was wrong when it hurts
But the unoriginal you would have never worked
Oh you're the lucky one
You're the lucky one
Someone would love you so much
That they'd come undone
Oh you're the lucky one
I'm addicted to bad decisions
I just can't ever help myself
Always thought I could fix the edges
But I'm torn and there's nothing left
I just can't stand the thought of you this way
So I said the things I thought would make you stay
But I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong
Is it possible to forget your name?
The identity running through your veins
Was it worth these ends, to play this part?
I never thought I could get this far
Abandon the old and bring in the new
But a sinking ship drowns every person here
Including you
And you tell yourself you were wrong when it hurts
But the unoriginal you would have never worked
You're so unoriginal, it would have never worked
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Addicted to Bad Decisions Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
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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,
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