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."
The city stays high, all night
Lit up and shivering
Like a pinball table of fireflies
An echo of home, on the edge of life
Shot through the veins of an angel
I'm a devil in exile
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
Who's calling on the phone
Dip the nose of the car to the sugar lines
Out to the desert
Under cinnamon hills and moonshine
He said 'what can I do to make you mine?'
Kiss out the twang from my lips
On the way to big-time
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
Who's calling on the phone
Forgot your mother tongue
Forgot your mother tongue
Forgot your mother tongue
Forgot your mother tongue
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
Lit up and shivering
Like a pinball table of fireflies
An echo of home, on the edge of life
Shot through the veins of an angel
I'm a devil in exile
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
Who's calling on the phone
Dip the nose of the car to the sugar lines
Out to the desert
Under cinnamon hills and moonshine
He said 'what can I do to make you mine?'
Kiss out the twang from my lips
On the way to big-time
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
Who's calling on the phone
Forgot your mother tongue
Forgot your mother tongue
Forgot your mother tongue
Forgot your mother tongue
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
But if you have forgotten
Your precious mother tongue
What do you think your mother
Would say of what you've done?
And if you can't remember the place
You call a home, or having trouble placing
Who's calling on the phone
Lyrics submitted by htimreimer, edited by TheoCupier, whytespyder77, KelseyRose, Eedy3
Mother Tongue Lyrics as written by Harry Mcveigh Charles Cave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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When We Were Young
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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.
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American Town
Ed Sheeran
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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.
It seems to be about a young woman who has moved to a big city and is partying hard. Staying up all night, snorting coke and drinking.
As part of this she is trying to distance herself from he past provincial life. Both in softening her regional accent ("kiss the twang from my lips)" and not keeping in touch with people back home ("having trouble placing who's calling on the phone").
Mother tongue in this song referring to their regional accent / past roots.