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."
[Intro: Foxes & Ice Spice]
Chasing relentlessly
Still fight and I don't know why
(Stop playin' wit' 'em, Riot)
[Chorus]
You did me dirt (Why?)
'Cause what did I do? Like
I fucked on ya bro
Like, I cannot choose, no lovin' a smooch (Grrah-grrah)
Bitch, I am the one (Grrah), so how can I lose? Like
Swing on that bitch, like a hammock (Ayy)
I'm doin' me, she cannot stand it
[Verse 1]
He see me in person and panic (Damn)
He know that I'm bad and I'm rude
It get hot, so I'm keepin' my cool (Hot)
And he like how I get in my mood (Baddie)
So why would you fuck wit' my mental? (Huh?)
After all that I told you I been through? (Huh?)
But you was my heart so I let you
But you was my heart so I let you
After all that, you shoulda told me (Baited)
Fuck that, I'm by my doley (Grrah)
Fuck that, I'm goin' OD (Grrah)
Would violate, but that was the old me (Grrah-grrah-grrah-grrah)
You woulda thought that I missed you (Nah)
But you was a thot, it's a issue (Baba)
Ya bro is the one that I went to (Ayy)
He gave me mazi in a rental (Ayy)
[Chorus]
You did me dirt (Why?)
'Cause what did I do? Like
I fucked on ya bro
Like, I cannot choose, no lovin' a smooch (Grrah-grrah)
Bitch, I am the one (Grrah), so how can I lose? Like
Swing on that bitch, like a hammock (Ayy)
I'm doin' me, she cannot stand it
[Verse 2]
Can't fuck wit' a nigga that stay in the likes, of a bitch I don't like (The fuck?)
She must be a bait, 'cause you always bite (What?), that shit get me tight
And it's not okay when you try to hurt me, when we fuckin' off Perky (Thirty)
We both from the Bronx, so I know that you dirty (Dirty)
How you do me like that?
When I fought, you fight back (Grrah-grrah, grrah-grrah)
Thought you knew I was a bully
Never understood me fully (Baow)
They shoulda named me pressure (Facts)
Who you know that do it better (Who?)
You gon' think about me 'til forever (Baow)
[Chorus]
You did me dirt (Why?)
'Cause what did I do? Like
I fucked on ya bro
Like, I cannot choose, no lovin' a smooch (Grrah-grrah)
Bitch, I am the one (Grrah), so how can I lose? Like
Swing on that bitch, like a hammock (Ayy)
I'm doin' me, she cannot stand it
Chasing relentlessly
Still fight and I don't know why
(Stop playin' wit' 'em, Riot)
[Chorus]
You did me dirt (Why?)
'Cause what did I do? Like
I fucked on ya bro
Like, I cannot choose, no lovin' a smooch (Grrah-grrah)
Bitch, I am the one (Grrah), so how can I lose? Like
Swing on that bitch, like a hammock (Ayy)
I'm doin' me, she cannot stand it
[Verse 1]
He see me in person and panic (Damn)
He know that I'm bad and I'm rude
It get hot, so I'm keepin' my cool (Hot)
And he like how I get in my mood (Baddie)
So why would you fuck wit' my mental? (Huh?)
After all that I told you I been through? (Huh?)
But you was my heart so I let you
But you was my heart so I let you
After all that, you shoulda told me (Baited)
Fuck that, I'm by my doley (Grrah)
Fuck that, I'm goin' OD (Grrah)
Would violate, but that was the old me (Grrah-grrah-grrah-grrah)
You woulda thought that I missed you (Nah)
But you was a thot, it's a issue (Baba)
Ya bro is the one that I went to (Ayy)
He gave me mazi in a rental (Ayy)
[Chorus]
You did me dirt (Why?)
'Cause what did I do? Like
I fucked on ya bro
Like, I cannot choose, no lovin' a smooch (Grrah-grrah)
Bitch, I am the one (Grrah), so how can I lose? Like
Swing on that bitch, like a hammock (Ayy)
I'm doin' me, she cannot stand it
[Verse 2]
Can't fuck wit' a nigga that stay in the likes, of a bitch I don't like (The fuck?)
She must be a bait, 'cause you always bite (What?), that shit get me tight
And it's not okay when you try to hurt me, when we fuckin' off Perky (Thirty)
We both from the Bronx, so I know that you dirty (Dirty)
How you do me like that?
When I fought, you fight back (Grrah-grrah, grrah-grrah)
Thought you knew I was a bully
Never understood me fully (Baow)
They shoulda named me pressure (Facts)
Who you know that do it better (Who?)
You gon' think about me 'til forever (Baow)
[Chorus]
You did me dirt (Why?)
'Cause what did I do? Like
I fucked on ya bro
Like, I cannot choose, no lovin' a smooch (Grrah-grrah)
Bitch, I am the one (Grrah), so how can I lose? Like
Swing on that bitch, like a hammock (Ayy)
I'm doin' me, she cannot stand it
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.