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."
Stargazers
A grand oasis in the vastness of gloom
Child of dew-spangled cobweb, Mother to the Moon
Constellations beholders of the 3rd vagrant
Theater for the play of life
Tragedienne of heavens
Watching the eyes of the night
Sailing the virgin oceans
A Planetride for Mother and Child
Floating upon the quiet hydrogen lakes
In this ambrosial merrry-go-round they will gaze
Ephemeral life touched by a billion-year-show
Separating the poet from the woe
(Repeat chorus)
Oracle of the Delfian Domine
Witness of Adam's frailty
Seer of the master prophecy
The stellar world her betrothed
Wanderers in cosmic caravan
Universal bond - The Starborn
A son in search for the truth
Following the pages of Almagest
Discovering the origin of dreams
Stargazers ride through the ancient realms
(Repeat chorus)
A grand oasis in the vastness of gloom
Child of dew-spangled cobweb, Mother to the Moon
Constellations beholders of the 3rd vagrant
Theater for the play of life
Tragedienne of heavens
Watching the eyes of the night
Sailing the virgin oceans
A Planetride for Mother and Child
Floating upon the quiet hydrogen lakes
In this ambrosial merrry-go-round they will gaze
Ephemeral life touched by a billion-year-show
Separating the poet from the woe
(Repeat chorus)
Oracle of the Delfian Domine
Witness of Adam's frailty
Seer of the master prophecy
The stellar world her betrothed
Wanderers in cosmic caravan
Universal bond - The Starborn
A son in search for the truth
Following the pages of Almagest
Discovering the origin of dreams
Stargazers ride through the ancient realms
(Repeat chorus)
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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."
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.
Trouble Breathing
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
While the obvious connections with suicide or alcoholism could be drawn easily, more subtly this song could be about someone who views the world through a negative lens constantly and how as much as the writer tries to show the beauty in the world, this person refuses to see it. It's one or another between the rope and the bottle. There is no good option for this person. They can't see it. Skiba sings it in a kind of exasperated way like He's tired of hearing this negative view constantly and just allowing that person to continue feeling the way they feel knowing he can't do anything about it. You can hear it when he says maybe you're a vampire.
Here is my interpretation:
"A grand oasis in the vastness of gloom" Earth in the vastness of the dark universe. "Child of dew-spangled cobweb, Mother to the Moon" The cobweb is our solar-system. Dewdrops = the planets. Mother to the Moon = Earth. "Constellations beholders of the 3rd vagrant" Star constellations. 3rd vagrant = 3rd planet from the Sun = Earth. The constellations are the audience to the play of life. "Theater for the play of life" Earth is where life unfolds.
"Tragedienne of heavens" Tragedienne can also mean the writer of tragedies, and the Earth is full of tragedies, especially when we are talking Nightwish. So the tragedienne of heavens is also the Earth. Fits with the theater nicely "Watching the eyes of the night" Eyes of the night = stars. It can be both the Earth and/or the astronomers (stargazers) watching the stars. I believe it is both. "Sailing the virgin oceans" Earth moving in the universe. AND astronomers/navigators sailing the seas and navigating by the stars. "A Planetride for Mother and Child" The Earth and the Moon moving. AND the people of Earth riding around the universe on the Earth.
"Floating upon the quiet hydrogen lakes" Hydrogen is the basic material of the universe. AND hydrogen is part of the water molecule, the hydrogen lakes are thus also the oceans of earth. It is Earth and the sailors/navigators/astronomers floating. "In this ambrosial merry-go-round they will gaze" The Earth is spinning. The astronomers/navigators gazing at the sky as they move around the world and the Earth moves around. "Ephemeral life touched by a billion-year-show" Humans' short lives compared to the age of the universe "Separating the poet from the woe" The knowledge of the age of the universe is comforting to the poet.
"Oracle of the Delfian Domine" Astrologists using the sky and Earth to foresee events, they are the Delfian Domine. The Earth is the Oracle. "Witness of Adam's frailty" Earth saw the dawn of mankind. "Seer of the master prophecy" Master prophecy = end of the Earth, or = end of the universe, or = the entire history of the universe. The Earth is the seer. "The stellar world her betrothed" Earth will eventually be destroyed and the matter from which it is made will rejoin all the matter in the universe and take a new form.
"Wanderers in cosmic caravan" The nearest stars are part of our galaxy which is the cosmic caravan.
"Universal bond - The Starborn" Univeral bond = gravity and the unity of the universe. Starborn = The Earth, born from the stars. Perhaps the starborn are also the stargazers.
"A son in search for the truth" The Earth is the son. The son is also a stargazer(an astronomer/astrologist/navigator and so on). "Following the pages of Almagest" Almagest being a series of ancient books about the movement of celestial bodies. The Earth is following its patch. The stargazers are using/following the knowledge of Almagest.
"Discovering the origin of dreams" Now moving on to dealing only with the stargazers. They discover the origin of dreams which I read as a metaphor for obtaining the knowledge of The Riddler, which is the knowledge of the answer to the universe and the meaning of life.
"Stargazers ride through the ancient realms" Might be the notion of building spacecrafts capable of interstellar travel. Might be the Earth moving in space. Might be riding in the ancient knowledge. Might be all three!
Well that ended up being long…
This song is great for those wanting a slightly higher vocabulary ^_^
Musically it's pretty good too.
i really have no idea what this is about but i love the song. i think it is just about different parts of the Earth. i don't care i LOVE nightwish. :D
one of the most beautiful songs ever
"A grand oasis in the vastness of gloom Child of dew-spangled cobweb, Mother to the Moon Constellations beholders of the 3rd vagrant Theater for the play of life"
= The Earth
Stargazers=the best song EVER
"Tragedienne" is a phrase which refers to an actress; a woman who performs tragic roles in a theater.
The Almagest is an ancient book which outlines the paths of stars and planets.
This song definitely touches on the planets and stars. Makes me think just how special we are to be able to look up at the sky and see such amazing things.
Stargazers is a beautiful song,
when listening to it i dont only get the impression that it is about stars and planets, i think it tells a story of the "Tragedienne" being a lady of heaven(s), who watches the stargazers as they watch the sky.
I am not sure why this lady would be named "Tragedienne".
I am probably way off the actual meaning :p
Stargazers is a beautiful song,
when listening to it i dont only get the impression that it is about stars and planets, i think it tells a story of the "Tragedienne" being a lady of heaven(s), who watches the stargazers as they watch the sky.
I am not sure why this lady would be named "Tragedienne".
I am probably way off the actual meaning :p
This song is so incredible that I don't even care if I know what it means or not. Just listening to it makes me feel like it is the raw definition of magic