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."
Bring it back, bring it back
Uh, uh
You could turn me up a little bit? (Thank you)
You gotta think for yourself (yourself)
Older niggas, they don't offer no help (at all)
Told you come and take that ride, so he don't get caught by his self
You twenty-two and facin' ten, you gotta talk through the jail
You bagged up in your mama crib, pray the apartment ain't smell (woo)
Watch for the D's, the block on fire like you walkin' through Hell (hot)
Tryna make sandwiches, the bread, it was stale
Came up on a couple dimes, you just preparin' to sell
You put that shit on, ain't wearin' it well, imagine sharin' a cell
With a nigga you never seen before
He offer the top bunk, you like, "I need the floor"
Read magazines 'bout guns you only see in war
You always brought the plug his money before you would need some more
The devil fuckin' with you, you just tryna shake the demons off
You know the block, you fell in love with guns watchin' RoboCop
You was really there, it wasn't Photoshop (real life)
Watch how he talk to him when you know he cop
You dreamin' 'bout that Audemar you hope to cop
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
(keep you a hustle, my nigga)
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
(No matter how it go)
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Hustle hard, I had to learn to chill
My hands done touched a lot of bills
Look how far it came, now we can't turn around
I seen too many that didn't make it out, oh, oh
Look at this
I never had to switch up for no clout or no bitch
Glamorous
Furs to match the winter, yeah, I need to do it big
Fuck your opinion (it don't matter), whoever criticize
Just countin' my blessings, I got my freedom and I'm still alive (thank God)
Focused on the finish line
I done took losses over a million times
You told on niggas, now you a gangster, I'll never feel your kind
Margarita sippin', I been feelin' fine (feelin' fine)
Already in my section while you still in line
Trollin' 'til you get hit on Live
The scary part about it, I ain't in my prime (at all)
Niggas'll take your Rollie, call it stealin' time
Landlord, the buildin' mine (mine)
Talk 'bout designer shit, we all wear it
Fuck the other side, we gon' ride until they all buried
Dome shot'll part your head, have you lookin' like Marbury
2Pac taught me keep a bomb ready
I'm drinkin' light, but my arm heavy
Private jettin', I know the pilot, used to be violent (violent)
Tell me why would you bring sand to the island? Homie, you wildin' (wildin')
I really made it happen out public housin', mama the proudest
Niggas paintin' they hair, screamin' the loudest, how y'all allow this?
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Uh, uh
You could turn me up a little bit? (Thank you)
You gotta think for yourself (yourself)
Older niggas, they don't offer no help (at all)
Told you come and take that ride, so he don't get caught by his self
You twenty-two and facin' ten, you gotta talk through the jail
You bagged up in your mama crib, pray the apartment ain't smell (woo)
Watch for the D's, the block on fire like you walkin' through Hell (hot)
Tryna make sandwiches, the bread, it was stale
Came up on a couple dimes, you just preparin' to sell
You put that shit on, ain't wearin' it well, imagine sharin' a cell
With a nigga you never seen before
He offer the top bunk, you like, "I need the floor"
Read magazines 'bout guns you only see in war
You always brought the plug his money before you would need some more
The devil fuckin' with you, you just tryna shake the demons off
You know the block, you fell in love with guns watchin' RoboCop
You was really there, it wasn't Photoshop (real life)
Watch how he talk to him when you know he cop
You dreamin' 'bout that Audemar you hope to cop
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
(keep you a hustle, my nigga)
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
(No matter how it go)
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Hustle hard, I had to learn to chill
My hands done touched a lot of bills
Look how far it came, now we can't turn around
I seen too many that didn't make it out, oh, oh
Look at this
I never had to switch up for no clout or no bitch
Glamorous
Furs to match the winter, yeah, I need to do it big
Fuck your opinion (it don't matter), whoever criticize
Just countin' my blessings, I got my freedom and I'm still alive (thank God)
Focused on the finish line
I done took losses over a million times
You told on niggas, now you a gangster, I'll never feel your kind
Margarita sippin', I been feelin' fine (feelin' fine)
Already in my section while you still in line
Trollin' 'til you get hit on Live
The scary part about it, I ain't in my prime (at all)
Niggas'll take your Rollie, call it stealin' time
Landlord, the buildin' mine (mine)
Talk 'bout designer shit, we all wear it
Fuck the other side, we gon' ride until they all buried
Dome shot'll part your head, have you lookin' like Marbury
2Pac taught me keep a bomb ready
I'm drinkin' light, but my arm heavy
Private jettin', I know the pilot, used to be violent (violent)
Tell me why would you bring sand to the island? Homie, you wildin' (wildin')
I really made it happen out public housin', mama the proudest
Niggas paintin' they hair, screamin' the loudest, how y'all allow this?
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
You keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Keep you a hustle whether you broke or not
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Broke or Not Lyrics as written by Edgar Nabeyin Panford David Brewster
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
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.
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.
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.
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.