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."
There's an albatross around your neck
All the things you've said and the things you've done
Can you carry it with no regrets
Can you stand the person you've become
Oooh there's a light
Oooh there's a light
Your albatross, let it go, let it go
Your albatross, shoot it down, shoot it down
When you just can't shake the heavy weight of living
Stepping forward out into the day
Shrugging off the dust of memory
Though it's soaring still above your head
It is out of sight and none shall see
Oooh there's a light
Oooh there's a light
Your albatross, let it go, let it go
Your albatross, shoot it down, shoot it down
When you just can't shake the heavy weight of living
When you just can't seem to shake the weight of living
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
Your albatross, let it go, let it go
Your albatross, shoot it down, shoot it down
When you just can't shake the heavy weight of living
When you just can't seem to shake the weight of living
The weight of living
The weight of living
The weight of living
The weight of living
All the things you've said and the things you've done
Can you carry it with no regrets
Can you stand the person you've become
Oooh there's a light
Oooh there's a light
Your albatross, let it go, let it go
Your albatross, shoot it down, shoot it down
When you just can't shake the heavy weight of living
Stepping forward out into the day
Shrugging off the dust of memory
Though it's soaring still above your head
It is out of sight and none shall see
Oooh there's a light
Oooh there's a light
Your albatross, let it go, let it go
Your albatross, shoot it down, shoot it down
When you just can't shake the heavy weight of living
When you just can't seem to shake the weight of living
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
It's the sun in your eyes, in your eyes
Your albatross, let it go, let it go
Your albatross, shoot it down, shoot it down
When you just can't shake the heavy weight of living
When you just can't seem to shake the weight of living
The weight of living
The weight of living
The weight of living
The weight of living
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Mountain Song
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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.
Punchline
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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
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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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
The Rhyme of the ancient mariner
I wonder why you have titled the song 'albatross'? That just confuses people.
I submitted the lyrics very early on and wasn't sure what the right name of the song really is tbh. Literally the only lyrics I could find back then on the internet had the name Albatross, so I chose that one as well. I know now that it's actually Weight of living pt. 1, but it won't let me change the name anymore :(
Yeah, as musicismylife7 already said this song is not titled "Albatross". The real title is "Weight of Living, Pt. 1".
@evej Do you live in the UK? It might be called Albatross there.
still find it amusing that on Bad Blood (basic album, not song or All This Bad Blood) in the UK this is the hidden track (on end of get home if anyone that doesn't have it is wondering) whilst Weight of Living Pt.II is the 6th track
Living with depression/regret because they can't forgive themselves for something they've done.
As Juliekspon the origin of this way of saying is Coleridge-The rime of the Ancient Mariner....Albatrosses were considered a emblem of hope, and in some cases the soul of dead sailors....in the Rime a sailor kills an albatross, and brings bad luck to the ship. So he is forced to carry the dead albatross around his neck... So this became the symbol of carrying a burden for something bad you may have done....in this song, the burden is just a stressful life, and they say that you should let the albatross-weight go, to be happier.
This song might be about, you guessed it, someone under the weight of living. I don't know about the UK, but the title is "The Weight Of Living Pt. 1", just clarifing. Someone is suffering and their life isn't going their way. I'm drawing some inspiration from "The Weight Of Living Pt. 2". The speaker is trying to comfort them. Saying: "Your albatross, let it go" The someone is hiding their feelings, "Though it's still soaring above your head, It's out if site and none shall see".
THE RESPONSE MIGHT BE SCATTERED BRAIN BECAUSE ITS 10:30 AT NIGHT