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."
KRS-One:
It’s always a privilege to spit with Lars
I’m a reality speaker, forget them cars
I’m learning how to teleport to reach to Mars
When you love this and live this you spit your bars
I spit a quick barrage, switch to ours
Before you get burnt by all these lit cigars
I spit because the time is upon us
Prophecy: education, Nostradamus
Are they the future, or really far behind us
Past perceptions trying to find us and blind us
It’s funny especially when Nostradamus
And none of these prophecies saw the Obamas
Life is a stage and it goes through dramas
So rewrite your script and replace your commas
Life is the crown-work, you’re the farmer
The seed is the idea, Kris Parker!
[Hook]
Everything’s falling apart
(Can't you tell me, can't you tell me!)
Everything’s falling apart
(Can't you tell me, can't you tell me!)
MC Lars:
Born in 82, I voted for Obama
It took ten years but they finally got Osama
PAX Americana, going Seal Team Six
Time to heal these kids, Kris I know they feel these riffs!
Hip-hop is the culture I watch it grow and breathe
The iGeneration knows exactly what it needs
We’re keeping our humanity, empowerment through art
Society is changing, evolution starts (you see)
Hip-hop taught me how to be a man
How to find my voice and love everything I am
Inspired by the youth, their knowledge and their passion
The way they shine the light, like Plato did in Athens (teach!)
What this means is that Knowledge Reigns Supreme
Over Nearly Everybody, never give up on your dreams
Clean energy, equality and a cure for AIDS
It’s on us ’cause we’ve got it and that’s why we keep the faith
[REPEAT Hook]
KRS-One:
The weather’s going crazy
The Earth’s magnetic field is getting wavy
People are feeling more lazy, the future is hazy
In prayer we ask, “Is this the end?” and God replies, “Maybe.”
The whole system is shaky and unreliable, national debt is astronomical
Poor people find this desirable, screaming “I got money!” when poverty is undeniable
The corruption is diabolical, at times even comical
I’m not typical, I’m topical, poetically philosophical
Today’s education is unappliable
I think with my abdominal, life is phenomenal
You make it all up with your optical, every moment is optional
That means anything I think in a blink is possible
[REPEAT Hook]
MC Lars:
Yo, I’m in a van with my band rocking clubs, rocking pubs
Worldwide and I do it for the love ’cause
I see the light in the eyes of the audience
The elements are heaven sent it’s awesome and it’s obvious
You see, we’ve been graph writing since the hieroglyphics
Breakin’ since the dawn of time, ’cause we’re so prolific
It’s that universal rhythm, griots on a mission
Going back to Africa, with stories they were spittin’
Ableton, Serrato, look how far we’ve come
Before we had computers DJs beat on logs and drums
Humming melodies and lyrics I can hear it in my spirit
Peace to Scott La Rock, ’cause he helped to engineer it (legend)
Want to spread the message of salvation over 808s
Digital humanities, we candidly deflect the hate
Let’s work heal the planet – hip-hop – it’s the gospel
With KRS the teacha and MC Lars apostle
It’s always a privilege to spit with Lars
I’m a reality speaker, forget them cars
I’m learning how to teleport to reach to Mars
When you love this and live this you spit your bars
I spit a quick barrage, switch to ours
Before you get burnt by all these lit cigars
I spit because the time is upon us
Prophecy: education, Nostradamus
Are they the future, or really far behind us
Past perceptions trying to find us and blind us
It’s funny especially when Nostradamus
And none of these prophecies saw the Obamas
Life is a stage and it goes through dramas
So rewrite your script and replace your commas
Life is the crown-work, you’re the farmer
The seed is the idea, Kris Parker!
[Hook]
Everything’s falling apart
(Can't you tell me, can't you tell me!)
Everything’s falling apart
(Can't you tell me, can't you tell me!)
MC Lars:
Born in 82, I voted for Obama
It took ten years but they finally got Osama
PAX Americana, going Seal Team Six
Time to heal these kids, Kris I know they feel these riffs!
Hip-hop is the culture I watch it grow and breathe
The iGeneration knows exactly what it needs
We’re keeping our humanity, empowerment through art
Society is changing, evolution starts (you see)
Hip-hop taught me how to be a man
How to find my voice and love everything I am
Inspired by the youth, their knowledge and their passion
The way they shine the light, like Plato did in Athens (teach!)
What this means is that Knowledge Reigns Supreme
Over Nearly Everybody, never give up on your dreams
Clean energy, equality and a cure for AIDS
It’s on us ’cause we’ve got it and that’s why we keep the faith
[REPEAT Hook]
KRS-One:
The weather’s going crazy
The Earth’s magnetic field is getting wavy
People are feeling more lazy, the future is hazy
In prayer we ask, “Is this the end?” and God replies, “Maybe.”
The whole system is shaky and unreliable, national debt is astronomical
Poor people find this desirable, screaming “I got money!” when poverty is undeniable
The corruption is diabolical, at times even comical
I’m not typical, I’m topical, poetically philosophical
Today’s education is unappliable
I think with my abdominal, life is phenomenal
You make it all up with your optical, every moment is optional
That means anything I think in a blink is possible
[REPEAT Hook]
MC Lars:
Yo, I’m in a van with my band rocking clubs, rocking pubs
Worldwide and I do it for the love ’cause
I see the light in the eyes of the audience
The elements are heaven sent it’s awesome and it’s obvious
You see, we’ve been graph writing since the hieroglyphics
Breakin’ since the dawn of time, ’cause we’re so prolific
It’s that universal rhythm, griots on a mission
Going back to Africa, with stories they were spittin’
Ableton, Serrato, look how far we’ve come
Before we had computers DJs beat on logs and drums
Humming melodies and lyrics I can hear it in my spirit
Peace to Scott La Rock, ’cause he helped to engineer it (legend)
Want to spread the message of salvation over 808s
Digital humanities, we candidly deflect the hate
Let’s work heal the planet – hip-hop – it’s the gospel
With KRS the teacha and MC Lars apostle
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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
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."
Gentle Hour
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,
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.
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.