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."
Your eyes, they tie me down so hard.
I'll never learn to put up a guard.
So keep my love, my candle bright.
Learn me hard oh, learn me right.
This ain't no sham.
I am what I am.
Though I may speak, some tongue of old
Or even spit out some holy word.
I have no strength from which to speak
When you shoot me down and see I'm weak
We will run and scream.
You will dance with me.
They'll fulfill our dreams
And we'll be free
And we will be who we are
And they'll heal our scars.
Sadness will be far away.
So as we walked
Through fields of green,
It was the fairest sun I'd ever seen.
And I was broke,
I was on my knees.
You said yes as I said please.
This ain't no sham.
I am what I am.
I'll leave no time
For a cynic's mind.
We will run and scream.
You will dance with me.
Fulfill our dreams
And we'll be free
We will be who we are
And they'll heal our scars.
Sadness will be far away.
Do not let my fickle flesh go to waste
As it keeps my heart and soul in its place.
And I will love with urgency
But not with haste.
I'll never learn to put up a guard.
So keep my love, my candle bright.
Learn me hard oh, learn me right.
This ain't no sham.
I am what I am.
Though I may speak, some tongue of old
Or even spit out some holy word.
I have no strength from which to speak
When you shoot me down and see I'm weak
We will run and scream.
You will dance with me.
They'll fulfill our dreams
And we'll be free
And we will be who we are
And they'll heal our scars.
Sadness will be far away.
So as we walked
Through fields of green,
It was the fairest sun I'd ever seen.
And I was broke,
I was on my knees.
You said yes as I said please.
This ain't no sham.
I am what I am.
I'll leave no time
For a cynic's mind.
We will run and scream.
You will dance with me.
Fulfill our dreams
And we'll be free
We will be who we are
And they'll heal our scars.
Sadness will be far away.
Do not let my fickle flesh go to waste
As it keeps my heart and soul in its place.
And I will love with urgency
But not with haste.
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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."
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced 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.
There was a time in my last relationship where I used to play this song as defining the status of our Love.
It is clear there is strong Love. It sounds like this is in the beginning of a relationship where one tries to convince the other that what they have is true Love. The Courtship process. That what they have is real and worthy of investing.
"This aint no sham, I am what I am"
The tongues of old to me, is openly expressed romance. Poetic words and phrases, perhaps even being a gentlemen. Things that appear to be old fashioned today. I know I felt God was heavily involved in my relationship coming together, and I think the author believes this too. "Or even spit out some holy word". Again trying to convince his loved one that their relationship was meant to be. That God had blessed them with this union.
Being in Love and confessing Love can make us feel week and vulnerable. Some may feel that they are stronger if they don't let onto how deeply they Love. The author does not agree with this.
The courtship continues with prophesizing about the future "We will run and scream, you will dance with me, they'll fulfill our dreams and we'll be free" God will bless us with his Love, and this Love will heal our past scars from past lovers. That we would bond closer together in the process of growing closer.
"The fields of green, and the fairest sun" is describing the wonderful times they would share, and how warm and peaceful they would be. As the author was showing his/her vulnerability asking for Love, they felt broken/weak.
At the end "Fickle Flesh" I believe this is the authors way of asking his Love to not take his Love/emotions as a weakness. Almost begging to not be hurt or rejected.