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."
Infested, polluted
80 tons of mercury dumped in a bay
It's bleeding there's no proof
That's no way to treat a good friend
Your whiskey talks louder
Than most things I've read you said
In situ, in place now
Sit back unwind and relax
Big cheese is, all greed is
It's all relative what you need
Happy birthday
Happy birthday
Happy birthday here's your nerve gas
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
Mistrusted, disruptive
Rape land and kill good habitat
World weary, world broken
Well spent and money, money, money, money
Injected, transmitted
80 tons of mercury dumped in a bay
It's breathing, it puts the dog back in the basket
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly growing sentimental
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like their back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like, looks like, looks like
Invaded, downgraded
Your bile lands right on my head
Uncalled for, unwanted
My sinking zero tolerance
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for the urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for the urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for the urang-a-tangs
Looks like it's the street again
80 tons of mercury dumped in a bay
It's bleeding there's no proof
That's no way to treat a good friend
Your whiskey talks louder
Than most things I've read you said
In situ, in place now
Sit back unwind and relax
Big cheese is, all greed is
It's all relative what you need
Happy birthday
Happy birthday
Happy birthday here's your nerve gas
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
Mistrusted, disruptive
Rape land and kill good habitat
World weary, world broken
Well spent and money, money, money, money
Injected, transmitted
80 tons of mercury dumped in a bay
It's breathing, it puts the dog back in the basket
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly growing sentimental
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like their back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for urang-a-tangs
Looks like, looks like, looks like
Invaded, downgraded
Your bile lands right on my head
Uncalled for, unwanted
My sinking zero tolerance
All the fishermen and their families
All sickly crumbling cerebellum
It's all over for the urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
All the fishermen and their families
It's all over for the urang-a-tangs
Looks like they're back on the street again
It's all over for the urang-a-tangs
Looks like it's the street again
Lyrics submitted by Moondragon
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Mountain Song
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I think the meaning is pretty clear. This person got really burned in a previous relationship, and because of this is unable to love and show care in his present one, even though he so badly wants to. It's lovely song, and very sad. You can really feel how defeated and frustrated he is with himself.
This song seems to be about the Minamata disaster. Basically what happened was the fertiliser company Chisso dumped its waste products (containing a heck of a lot of mecury and other nasties) into Minamata bay (I suspect because it was cheaper). Well, anyways, the fishermen who used Minamata bay started eating the fish like they always had, and their cats did too. The cats showed the first signs of mecury poising, having smaller body mass, hence the song title. It was only a matter of time before the same affects started to be noticed in humans....
Wow, that's interesting. I never thought of that. I really like the song, though. It really drives.
i agree with saxifrage.. but i think this song also has somthing to do with an abusive relationship..driven by alcohol obviously:
"It's bleeding there's no proof That's no way to treat a good friend Your whiskey talks louder Than most things I've read you said"
This song reminds me of the Pixies' "Monkey Gone to Heaven." Although it names New York and New Jersey (not Minamata) as the setting, it deals with the issue of sea pollution and refers to people as mokeys.
You got the title wrong, it's not "The Disease Of Dancing Cats" It's "The Disease of the Dancing Cats".
I break down the lyrics of this song in my new video series. There's more scandalous details of the rocky relationship between Gavin Rossdale from Bush and Gwen Stefani from No Doubt, including insight into his sexuality and mental state, and her possible marriage to Blake Shelton. I delve deep into Gavin's mind by comically interpreting his lyrics in the first episode of Bad Song Lyrics Poetry Slam. youtu.be/20D90f9hli4
Isn't "big cheese" a line from Nirvana? Geeezz