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."
My land is wide
My skies are blue
My goals are high
My mark is you
My hands are red
My legs are long
My word is spread
Be it right or wrong
Good luck getting me to commit
My a.k.a. is hypocrite
Rather be bullying the underfed
And treat you like you got a hole in your head
I go...
Right round pushing out the riff raff
No matter where it came from
Never mind the wisdom
Only see it my way
Take it or the highway
Welcome to the land of Generica
My grass is green
My bonds are junk
My truth looks sheen
My soul's in a funk
My eyes are blind
My talk is cheap
My heart is fickle
My tax is steep
Try my McNuggets and a side of fries
Just might kill you off but never-mind
Call my doctor to set up a time
Two hundred grand oughta do just fine
I go...
Right round pushing out the riff raff
No matter where it came from
Never mind the wisdom
You only have two choices
Guest list or black list
Welcome to the land of Generica
Don't go thinking outside of the box
Might have to kick you right in the crotch
Stick with me Mr. Stereotype
You know it man, I'll keep you up on the hype
I go...
Right round imposing my creation
Mass produce it for you
Everything looks brand new
Put it all on credit
A hundred years to pay it
Force you to agree
While your smiling at me
Whoopee!
I go...
Right round pushing out the riff raff
No matter where it came from
Never mind the wisdom
Only see it my way
Take it or the highway
Welcome to the land of Generica, Generica
My skies are blue
My goals are high
My mark is you
My hands are red
My legs are long
My word is spread
Be it right or wrong
Good luck getting me to commit
My a.k.a. is hypocrite
Rather be bullying the underfed
And treat you like you got a hole in your head
I go...
Right round pushing out the riff raff
No matter where it came from
Never mind the wisdom
Only see it my way
Take it or the highway
Welcome to the land of Generica
My grass is green
My bonds are junk
My truth looks sheen
My soul's in a funk
My eyes are blind
My talk is cheap
My heart is fickle
My tax is steep
Try my McNuggets and a side of fries
Just might kill you off but never-mind
Call my doctor to set up a time
Two hundred grand oughta do just fine
I go...
Right round pushing out the riff raff
No matter where it came from
Never mind the wisdom
You only have two choices
Guest list or black list
Welcome to the land of Generica
Don't go thinking outside of the box
Might have to kick you right in the crotch
Stick with me Mr. Stereotype
You know it man, I'll keep you up on the hype
I go...
Right round imposing my creation
Mass produce it for you
Everything looks brand new
Put it all on credit
A hundred years to pay it
Force you to agree
While your smiling at me
Whoopee!
I go...
Right round pushing out the riff raff
No matter where it came from
Never mind the wisdom
Only see it my way
Take it or the highway
Welcome to the land of Generica, Generica
Lyrics submitted by jebus81
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.