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 a ghost in the mirror
I feel it creeping into your head
Claiming another victim
Is it me that you hear?
And when the hatred rises up do you wish that I had been there?
And there's a ghost in the mirror
I feel it creeping up beneath me
Holding out to my tongue
Could it be any clearer?
And if the Devil ain't a beast
Then he's a bully to his loved ones
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And I'll move the earth around to save you
In my head have a heart attack
Without you, without you
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And the world will turn around
It is only you and I
Just try, just try
There's a ghost in the mirror
And in the loneliest of nights you can feel it coming closer
Should've known that the fear
Is gonna bury you beneath all the love that you held back
And there's no hope in this mirror
I feel it beating like the past
Every second makes it clearer
It's you and me in the mirror
And I've let it go, like we've never ever been there
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And I'll move the earth around to save you
In my head have a heart attack
Without you, without you
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And the world will turn around
It is only you and I
Just try, just try
Hold your heavy head, hold you heavy head
And I drive up into the sky, drive into the sunrise
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Into the sky, into the sun blind
Hold your heavy head, hold you heavy head
And I drive up into the sky, drive into the sunrise
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And I'll move the earth around to save you
In my head have a heart attack
Without you, without you
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And the world will turn around
It is only you and I
Just try, just try
I feel it creeping into your head
Claiming another victim
Is it me that you hear?
And when the hatred rises up do you wish that I had been there?
And there's a ghost in the mirror
I feel it creeping up beneath me
Holding out to my tongue
Could it be any clearer?
And if the Devil ain't a beast
Then he's a bully to his loved ones
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And I'll move the earth around to save you
In my head have a heart attack
Without you, without you
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And the world will turn around
It is only you and I
Just try, just try
There's a ghost in the mirror
And in the loneliest of nights you can feel it coming closer
Should've known that the fear
Is gonna bury you beneath all the love that you held back
And there's no hope in this mirror
I feel it beating like the past
Every second makes it clearer
It's you and me in the mirror
And I've let it go, like we've never ever been there
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And I'll move the earth around to save you
In my head have a heart attack
Without you, without you
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And the world will turn around
It is only you and I
Just try, just try
Hold your heavy head, hold you heavy head
And I drive up into the sky, drive into the sunrise
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Into the sky, into the sun blind
Hold your heavy head, hold you heavy head
And I drive up into the sky, drive into the sunrise
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head
Hold your heavy head, hold your heavy head upright
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And I'll move the earth around to save you
In my head have a heart attack
Without you, without you
Full throttle, full speed ahead
And the world will turn around
It is only you and I
Just try, just try
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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."
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.
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.
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.