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."
(One...two...three...four....five....six....seven....eight)
Best to smile
Best to squal for daddy
Best to revile
The baby Jesus loves the company
Must have lost my mind
When I lost the car keys on my way out
Strange how you're not with me
Where has my head gone?
Where do you hole up to
Mutilate the day from me?
Where has my head gone?
Well I felt it slip away
Best to defile
Best to stay sleeping
In a while
I will awake to be a has been
Must have lost my mind
When I lost your heart key
On my way out
Strange how you're not with me
Best to smile
Best to squal for daddy
Best to revile
The baby Jesus loves the company
Must have lost my mind
When I lost the car keys on my way out
Strange how you're not with me
Where has my head gone?
Where do you hole up to
Mutilate the day from me?
Where has my head gone?
Well I felt it slip away
Best to defile
Best to stay sleeping
In a while
I will awake to be a has been
Must have lost my mind
When I lost your heart key
On my way out
Strange how you're not with me
Lyrics submitted by icy_fire
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
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.
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.
I agree with OrangeSteamboat, but to take it further i think it deals with a breakup and maybe the feeling of self destruction. "Best to defile, best to stay sleeping, in a while, i will awake to be a has been" I will awake to be a has been, seems very sad, but i love the humility. Also, i like how it changes in the second bridge from car keys, to heart keys. it's subtle but i always get caught on that line, "when i lost your heart key, strange how your not with me" it happens to us all, makes ya think for at least a half hour, just on one line, brilliant.
Someone who was big part of your life for a long time has suddenly left it, and you feel like you're going insane.
I read somewhere that Matt was in the hospital, and when he came to this is what he was humming in his head first....so he had to get it out.
Before reading these lyrics, I thought he was saying "Whe-e-e-ere's my handgun?" and before that "Whe-e-e-ere's my haircut?". Yeah, the real lyrics make more sense. Good song.
I think the meaning behind this song is that of someone who has been completely destroyed by a relationship and the only thing they can do is smile and pretend its ok, to revile is to relive so hes looking over the past , and the baby jesus loves company may signify it was around xmas,
mustve lost my mind when i lost the car keys , on my way out strange how your not with me.
he became intoxicated and he literally cannot think straight
he wants to be asleep because it hurts less when your asleep , he wants the fame to go away and he realises he lost her heart key , on his way out could mean that hes ventured into the world without his gf ,
to revile, is to abuse... not to relive. This song is certainly about a lost relationship.
Best to revile = to abuse Best to squeal for Daddy = this could be sexual between the two in a relationship, or it could mean, maybe your father can make this better. The baby Jesus loves the company = Self sacrifice, it could also be talking about talking his name in vane. Or feigning self sacrifice.
Where do you hole up to mutilate the day away from me? Somebody is hiding from someone else. Perhaps someone is still in love with the other who is hiding.
Best to defile Best to stay sleeping In a while I will awake to be a has been
He will awake to be just another has been relationship with the girl he loves.
There is a place called Tripoli. Look it up.
Capital city of Libya