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."
Only yesterday they told me you were gone
All these normal people will I find another one?
Monkey on my back, aching in my bones
I forgot you said "One day you'll walk alone"
I said I need you, does that make me wrong?
Am I a weak man, are you feeling strong?
My heart was blackened, it's bloody red
A hole in my heart, a hole in my head?
Who will help me up?
Where's the helping hand?
Will you turn on me?
Is this my final stand?
In a dream I connot see
Tangled abstract fallacy
Random turmoil builds in me
I'm addicted to chaos
Light shined on my path,
Turn bad days into good
Turn breakdowns into blocks, I smashed 'em
Cause I could
My brain was labored, my head would spin
Don't let me down, don't give up, don't give in
The rain comes down, cold wind blows
The plans we made are back up on the road
Turn up my collar, welcome the unknown
Remember that you said
"One day you'll walk alone"
All these normal people will I find another one?
Monkey on my back, aching in my bones
I forgot you said "One day you'll walk alone"
I said I need you, does that make me wrong?
Am I a weak man, are you feeling strong?
My heart was blackened, it's bloody red
A hole in my heart, a hole in my head?
Who will help me up?
Where's the helping hand?
Will you turn on me?
Is this my final stand?
In a dream I connot see
Tangled abstract fallacy
Random turmoil builds in me
I'm addicted to chaos
Light shined on my path,
Turn bad days into good
Turn breakdowns into blocks, I smashed 'em
Cause I could
My brain was labored, my head would spin
Don't let me down, don't give up, don't give in
The rain comes down, cold wind blows
The plans we made are back up on the road
Turn up my collar, welcome the unknown
Remember that you said
"One day you'll walk alone"
Lyrics submitted by elmoz
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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.
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.
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.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
This one is about a guy who mentored Dave Mustaine during one of his trips to rehab. The man had been clean and sober for years and then relapsed one time and ovedosed, which killed him.
@GhostOfWar Yup, Mustaine has stated this in an interview. He also mentioned that he basically thought that his AA sponsor only sponsored him to score his drugs.
I hate to relate everything to a woman, but, that, along with being 30 and a failure at life in general, are all I can relate to. So, I met my SoulMate and, needless to say, it went sour. I never jelled with anyone like that. She taught me alot about what needed to be changed in my life. She taught me how to love and forgive unconditionally. She brought me closer to Jesus and understanding his ways. But she turned out to be one of the most evil ruthless people I have ever met in my life. It has been a long time since it has been over and I still have not found anyone that shows me the way or that completes me the way she did. I love Dave Mustaines music. It has seved my life plenty of times.
@AGGOZZUR Checking in from 20 years in the future. Everything good with you now, bro?
This site is about what a song means to you, cherrychew22, even though you're probably long gone and won't be reading this. Let the man speak his mind.
the heroin is aching in his bones. The whole song is about drug addiction.
The song is about loosing someone who has been helping you out alot. At the end of the 2nd verse its about relising you can go on by yourself. Great song
I don't understand "In a dream I connot see Tangled abstract fallacy Random turmoil builds in me I'm addicted to chaos"
The rest I get but.. anyone know?
@Liberi I've always assumed it relates to a dreamlike state (perhaps drug induced?) where nothing makes sense- and that reflects the rest of his life too.<br /> 'Random turmoil builds...' seems to me like he can't explain what's wrong- just that something is very wrong and it keeps coming back to haunt him (like addiction) and he is addicted to the chaos- the insanity of it- he can't escape it...<br /> That's my thoughts anyhow! :)
My interpretation is that this song is about love. think about it: the lines "A hole in my heart, a hole in my head?"; "In a dream I connot see" and "Tangled abstract fallacy" can all definitely refer to love. But there are some lines I'm not sure about, such as "Monkey on my back, aching in my bones". But that's just my thoughts. Sides, I'm sure you can all agree that love is indeed chaotic, yet is keep coming back for more hahaha...
"Monkey on my back, aching in my bones" are clearly references to Heroin. Heroin addiction is referred to as the monkey on your back. When you go through Heroin withdrawl your bones ache. This is why I have to disagree with the love meaning. Unless of course, you mean the love of Heroin.
Well, when you're high... ...things don't always make sense. To state the obvious. It's a dream-like state. I think he's talking about how he's losing control because of drug-use, but he can't help himself because he's too addicted. Without the help of his mentor, he falls off the straight and narrow.
Aww.. This song has helped me so many times when I felt bad. Very deep lyrics. One of Megadeths best songs..
From the realms of deth: "In this song, the speaker loses someone very close to him, a dear friend who helped him through some very difficult times and was pretty much the only constant thing in his life. The speaker has been warned of this day, but he is still unprepared for it. He wonders about his chances of every finding anyone else like that in the world, and even contemplates suicide. In the final verse of the song, he becomes enlightened and realizes that this is simply another challenge in a life full of challenges. He gets his head together and goes out to face the world alone, once again."
GhostOfWar I think you may be right. But I personally think this song means what you want it to mean. That's the beauty of a lot of megadeth songs.