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."
Oh, you see now
This is a little story about this little word we call 'love'
You've got 'em wrapped around your finger
You're constantly changing
An ever impressive mind
You better watch the way
You treat 'em little baby
'Cause you might make him lose his mind
I told her twice
You better watch twice
Because he's walking for the door
And never thinkin' twice now
So you better bat your eyes
And put a little shake in them hips
No la la love's
Gonna' keep him alive
Love's just a game
That two people play
No matter who you think wins
The outcomes always the same
Before I pick up the strength to leave
With all the things that you said
But never ever do mean
This la la love
I'm trying hard to understand
(to understand)
This love
This game called love
Now you think you got him figured
Yeah, I bet you think you got him all figured out
She said to
Go on and get to steppin'
Prince charming
If you think that your one of a kind
She told me twice
I think she told me twice
Your pretty words sting my ears
Like bad advice
Now you think I will abide
To boy trying to be like a man?
No la la love's
Gonna keep him alive
So I look in those eyes
Oh, those firey
Devil eyes and I
Just cant figure you out!
(la la love, la la love, la la la la la la love)
Love's just a game
That two people play
Who you think wins
The outcomes always the same
Before I pick up my strength to leave
With all the things that you said
But never ever do
This la la love
I'm trying hard to understand
I'm trying hard to understand
This love
Oh, this little pretty thing
Oh, it's dangerous
They call it 'love'
It's funny how this little word called 'love'
Could turn out to be so
Dangerous
Love's just a game
That two people play
Who you think wins
The out comes always the same
Before I pick up the strength to leave
With all the things that you said
But never ever do
This la la love
I'm trying hard to understand
I'm trying hard to understand
This love
Oh, this pretty pretty thing we call 'love'
C2C
We back at it baby
Oh, ah
For the love
For the pain
For the ways I wished you'd change
For the fact I never will
Cut back these feelings that I feel
For the good times
And the bad times
Everything else in between
Let's give a toast to life lessens
Growing up, we'll steal those dreams
For those radio plays
And those TV Spots
We'll look back and see how small
Then how big we got
We're never ever giving up
Staying humble, rise above
These pretty little dangers
That we call love
This is a little story about this little word we call 'love'
You've got 'em wrapped around your finger
You're constantly changing
An ever impressive mind
You better watch the way
You treat 'em little baby
'Cause you might make him lose his mind
I told her twice
You better watch twice
Because he's walking for the door
And never thinkin' twice now
So you better bat your eyes
And put a little shake in them hips
No la la love's
Gonna' keep him alive
Love's just a game
That two people play
No matter who you think wins
The outcomes always the same
Before I pick up the strength to leave
With all the things that you said
But never ever do mean
This la la love
I'm trying hard to understand
(to understand)
This love
This game called love
Now you think you got him figured
Yeah, I bet you think you got him all figured out
She said to
Go on and get to steppin'
Prince charming
If you think that your one of a kind
She told me twice
I think she told me twice
Your pretty words sting my ears
Like bad advice
Now you think I will abide
To boy trying to be like a man?
No la la love's
Gonna keep him alive
So I look in those eyes
Oh, those firey
Devil eyes and I
Just cant figure you out!
(la la love, la la love, la la la la la la love)
Love's just a game
That two people play
Who you think wins
The outcomes always the same
Before I pick up my strength to leave
With all the things that you said
But never ever do
This la la love
I'm trying hard to understand
I'm trying hard to understand
This love
Oh, this little pretty thing
Oh, it's dangerous
They call it 'love'
It's funny how this little word called 'love'
Could turn out to be so
Dangerous
Love's just a game
That two people play
Who you think wins
The out comes always the same
Before I pick up the strength to leave
With all the things that you said
But never ever do
This la la love
I'm trying hard to understand
I'm trying hard to understand
This love
Oh, this pretty pretty thing we call 'love'
C2C
We back at it baby
Oh, ah
For the love
For the pain
For the ways I wished you'd change
For the fact I never will
Cut back these feelings that I feel
For the good times
And the bad times
Everything else in between
Let's give a toast to life lessens
Growing up, we'll steal those dreams
For those radio plays
And those TV Spots
We'll look back and see how small
Then how big we got
We're never ever giving up
Staying humble, rise above
These pretty little dangers
That we call love
Lyrics submitted by Amasterd20, edited by thegreatdistress
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.