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."
Look at me I'm fallin'
Off of a cliff now
I can still hear my mama yelling No No No
But the words mean nothing
Can't catch up to me now
And the view is so beautiful
All the way down
When I was a little boy
Suckin' juice from a bottle
Believing my perceptions were oh so real
But I don't know nothing
Still knowing nothing
Was just enough for me to know the way I feel
This is life
What a fucked up thing we do
What a nightmare come true
Or a playground if we choose
And I choose
Look at me I'm swollen
Like a banana fish now
I'm never gonna make it out of my hole
But I keep on laughing
Doesn't really matter
There's dozens of reasons for explaining my soul
When I was a teenager
Suckin' booze with the Vatos
Discussing who was gonna live to be 21
They said they wouldn't make it
They didn't make it
We're all naked when the day is said and done
This is life
What a fucked up thing we do
What a nightmare come true
Or a playground if we choose
And I choose
Don't know who made this all come true
But now while you're here
You just gotta do what you gotta do
Now if I wasn't such a weenie
Do you think you'd still love me
Pretending I'm an airplane on the living
Room floor
But like a lovely generator
You stand right by me
And if words were wisdom I'd be talking
Even more
So I keep on falling
As I'm looking back above me
Watching as my mama just becomes a little dot
Now I'm like DeNiro
I'm amarillo
And I'll never know when I hit the ground
Off of a cliff now
I can still hear my mama yelling No No No
But the words mean nothing
Can't catch up to me now
And the view is so beautiful
All the way down
When I was a little boy
Suckin' juice from a bottle
Believing my perceptions were oh so real
But I don't know nothing
Still knowing nothing
Was just enough for me to know the way I feel
This is life
What a fucked up thing we do
What a nightmare come true
Or a playground if we choose
And I choose
Look at me I'm swollen
Like a banana fish now
I'm never gonna make it out of my hole
But I keep on laughing
Doesn't really matter
There's dozens of reasons for explaining my soul
When I was a teenager
Suckin' booze with the Vatos
Discussing who was gonna live to be 21
They said they wouldn't make it
They didn't make it
We're all naked when the day is said and done
This is life
What a fucked up thing we do
What a nightmare come true
Or a playground if we choose
And I choose
Don't know who made this all come true
But now while you're here
You just gotta do what you gotta do
Now if I wasn't such a weenie
Do you think you'd still love me
Pretending I'm an airplane on the living
Room floor
But like a lovely generator
You stand right by me
And if words were wisdom I'd be talking
Even more
So I keep on falling
As I'm looking back above me
Watching as my mama just becomes a little dot
Now I'm like DeNiro
I'm amarillo
And I'll never know when I hit the ground
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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,
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
I don't think it's about suicide. I think the jumping off a cliff bit is about how our lifetimes are like jumping off a cliff because we "never know when I hit the ground" ie die., and there's no way of stopping it or slowing down time. You can either be terrified of hitting the ground (death) or enjoy the exhilaration of falling (life) and he's saying he chooses to enjoy it.