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."
Winter of 23 it snowed like a bastard
Doom rolled in stiff from the north
Mama started praying early
For God to keep her family warm
Daylight of the second morning
Daddy died of a heart attack
Quarter mile up the road
Seth and I drug him back
Seth was big just like daddy
He dug a hole six foot down
We stood for a while in the swirling snow
Then covered him up with the frozen ground
Late that night our [servant] girl named Sally
Said she pittied Seth and I so badly
That she wanted to give us all the love she could
Just like she used to do with daddy
Oh Sally Sally please
Won't you stop haunting me
I sit sometimes in the old oak tree
Just wondering what you're doing
By the fifth day there was no more color
nothing out there but blinding white
Mamma was talking of the days of judgement
Said, The Lord was coming down tonight
That night we sat by the fire in silence
Except for Seth's mournful violin
He was older and he seemed less bothered
By mamma's apocoliptic visions
By the seventh day the sun was shining
Melting the snow away
Sarah from the next farm over
Came to see if I could play
Sarah was pretty and blonde and freckled
Always wore a checkered shirt
Sometimes in the heat of summer
She'd let me peek under her skirt
Oh mamma mamma tell me please
Why won't she marry me
I sat all day in the old oak tree
Praying for forgiveness
Oh Sarah Sarah please
Why won't you marry me
I sit sometimes in the old oak tree
Just wondering what your doing
Doom rolled in stiff from the north
Mama started praying early
For God to keep her family warm
Daylight of the second morning
Daddy died of a heart attack
Quarter mile up the road
Seth and I drug him back
Seth was big just like daddy
He dug a hole six foot down
We stood for a while in the swirling snow
Then covered him up with the frozen ground
Late that night our [servant] girl named Sally
Said she pittied Seth and I so badly
That she wanted to give us all the love she could
Just like she used to do with daddy
Oh Sally Sally please
Won't you stop haunting me
I sit sometimes in the old oak tree
Just wondering what you're doing
By the fifth day there was no more color
nothing out there but blinding white
Mamma was talking of the days of judgement
Said, The Lord was coming down tonight
That night we sat by the fire in silence
Except for Seth's mournful violin
He was older and he seemed less bothered
By mamma's apocoliptic visions
By the seventh day the sun was shining
Melting the snow away
Sarah from the next farm over
Came to see if I could play
Sarah was pretty and blonde and freckled
Always wore a checkered shirt
Sometimes in the heat of summer
She'd let me peek under her skirt
Oh mamma mamma tell me please
Why won't she marry me
I sat all day in the old oak tree
Praying for forgiveness
Oh Sarah Sarah please
Why won't you marry me
I sit sometimes in the old oak tree
Just wondering what your doing
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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.
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.