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."
They practice so-called justice, law and order their first trick
They practice so-called justice and soon they’ll want our necks
They think we are their scapegoats, they look down on me and you
Well just let them believe that, until its time to see who’s who
Sometimes I wonder how much longer it will take until people start to realise that the law is but a fake
But across the world rebellion’s restrained and turned against itself by the media’s brain
First it’s the facts, then they’re attacked
Chained to their lies to maintain pride
Always one side, always their side
Never our side, fuck the lot
Always titles, always disciples. They’re packaging bullets for the rifles
People are dying, people are crying, while other people are mystified
People are dead, the colour was red. Lives are through, the colour was blue
People are fighting while people are writing. But I realise someone is hiding the truth
There's pressure in the east, pressure in the west. The pressure’s building up but the rulers know best
How to hold back the masses who beg and demand. For the slightest chance in a change of command
A command that forces a lifestyle of sin. Then picks up the pieces and locks them in
That has the power and time to access and control enemy number one - the press
‘People die in horror cell’ on the front page of the Sun
Then the page is turned and the real fun has begun
The horror is diluted as the page three girl arrives
Shapely tits, big bulging arse, a sparkle in her eye
More and more and more and more the horror becomes distant
It’s swept aside with packaged lies, presented like a present
And the time it’s taken in is as your team is winning
A person’s died, another’s lied, but there's no sign of the killing
They practice so-called justice and soon they’ll want our necks
They think we are their scapegoats, they look down on me and you
Well just let them believe that, until its time to see who’s who
Sometimes I wonder how much longer it will take until people start to realise that the law is but a fake
But across the world rebellion’s restrained and turned against itself by the media’s brain
First it’s the facts, then they’re attacked
Chained to their lies to maintain pride
Always one side, always their side
Never our side, fuck the lot
Always titles, always disciples. They’re packaging bullets for the rifles
People are dying, people are crying, while other people are mystified
People are dead, the colour was red. Lives are through, the colour was blue
People are fighting while people are writing. But I realise someone is hiding the truth
There's pressure in the east, pressure in the west. The pressure’s building up but the rulers know best
How to hold back the masses who beg and demand. For the slightest chance in a change of command
A command that forces a lifestyle of sin. Then picks up the pieces and locks them in
That has the power and time to access and control enemy number one - the press
‘People die in horror cell’ on the front page of the Sun
Then the page is turned and the real fun has begun
The horror is diluted as the page three girl arrives
Shapely tits, big bulging arse, a sparkle in her eye
More and more and more and more the horror becomes distant
It’s swept aside with packaged lies, presented like a present
And the time it’s taken in is as your team is winning
A person’s died, another’s lied, but there's no sign of the killing
Lyrics submitted by dragonflower44
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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.

Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.

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.