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."
[Chorus]
From chaos comes clarity, I tell ya
What you appear to be, you ought to know
Glycerin tears don't fool me, I tell ya
Delusions plaguing everybody
Makin' that hybrid music back in '90, now it's on ya
I hear we we're the model for the band you front, we spawned ya
Finding it hard to come original, we warned ya
We're shakin' the white boys in New York, black girls in California
We come through hip-hop, drum-n-bass, and dance hall rhythms
You want our beats and lyrics, you want to get them
Watchin' you sink into the depths of opportunism
Missing the point, music's about love not pessimism
I'm SA, moving supreme and on my team
I rock the mic with a sweet lean
And you know that, stated as a fact
The only DJ MC gettin' down like that
Metaphorically we are the chief of police, you're rock n roll
And we're positive you stole more than just the radio
Now it's 2, 1, and we are back in control
The jammies are coming, people succumbing 'cause we got the soul
Everyone tends to forget upon reentry
Orbiting space quantum saints we're the only
Beginning from a planet so naturally
Gifted in the heart lies our technology
It's only right, right
Entering in a space of pure delight, light
Next contestant on this jam is, tight
Feels spontaneous you'll improvise, vise
From chaos comes clarity, I tell ya
What you appear to be, you ought to know
Glycerin tears don't fool me, I tell ya
Delusions plaguing everybody
[Chorus]
Don't even try it, you don't want to disrespect me
If dealing with punks was school, I'd have a Harvard degree
You can't make me hate you no matter how punk you act
No matter what you do, I don't react
I'm a perfect example of not giving a fuck
About the catty rude people that just suck
What do you know all of the sudden, uhh, I usurp you
Look it up in the dictionary to find out what I do
I go back to the style I came from
It's not something you can fake, son
You're a con man who's run is done
You lead a world wide web of deception
Everyone tends to forget upon reentry
Orbiting space quantum saints, we're the only
Beginning from a planet so naturally
Gifted in the heart lies our technology
It's only right, right
Entering in a space of pure delight, light
Next contestant on this jam is, tight
Feels spontaneous you'll improvise, vise
[Chorus]
From chaos comes clarity, I tell ya
What you appear to be, you ought to know
Glycerin tears don't fool me, I tell ya
Delusions plaguing everybody
Makin' that hybrid music back in '90, now it's on ya
I hear we we're the model for the band you front, we spawned ya
Finding it hard to come original, we warned ya
We're shakin' the white boys in New York, black girls in California
We come through hip-hop, drum-n-bass, and dance hall rhythms
You want our beats and lyrics, you want to get them
Watchin' you sink into the depths of opportunism
Missing the point, music's about love not pessimism
I'm SA, moving supreme and on my team
I rock the mic with a sweet lean
And you know that, stated as a fact
The only DJ MC gettin' down like that
Metaphorically we are the chief of police, you're rock n roll
And we're positive you stole more than just the radio
Now it's 2, 1, and we are back in control
The jammies are coming, people succumbing 'cause we got the soul
Everyone tends to forget upon reentry
Orbiting space quantum saints we're the only
Beginning from a planet so naturally
Gifted in the heart lies our technology
It's only right, right
Entering in a space of pure delight, light
Next contestant on this jam is, tight
Feels spontaneous you'll improvise, vise
From chaos comes clarity, I tell ya
What you appear to be, you ought to know
Glycerin tears don't fool me, I tell ya
Delusions plaguing everybody
[Chorus]
Don't even try it, you don't want to disrespect me
If dealing with punks was school, I'd have a Harvard degree
You can't make me hate you no matter how punk you act
No matter what you do, I don't react
I'm a perfect example of not giving a fuck
About the catty rude people that just suck
What do you know all of the sudden, uhh, I usurp you
Look it up in the dictionary to find out what I do
I go back to the style I came from
It's not something you can fake, son
You're a con man who's run is done
You lead a world wide web of deception
Everyone tends to forget upon reentry
Orbiting space quantum saints, we're the only
Beginning from a planet so naturally
Gifted in the heart lies our technology
It's only right, right
Entering in a space of pure delight, light
Next contestant on this jam is, tight
Feels spontaneous you'll improvise, vise
[Chorus]
Lyrics submitted by pen1234567
From Chaos Lyrics as written by Nicholas Hexum Douglas Martinez
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
The lyrics of this song go:
"Everyone tends to forget upon re-entry"
This song is about being yourself, not listening to what other people tell you, remembering where you came from, and seeing that good things lie under chaotic things. In this song 311 talks about all the negative music that is oh so popular right now, and they want you to know if you dig through all of that negativity and look around instead of just taking what's thrown at you and running with it (ie: the stuff played on the radio), you'll find bands and music with a more positive message. THINK FOR YOURSELF! Do what you feel is right...or..."come original"
wow so i most definately LOVE this song. I mainly only pay attention to the chorus cause it's the only thing I can understand without looking at the lyrics.... but i love it!
megan
this is a real good 311 song i'm surprized there are only 2 responses, well three now, yeah i agree with your explanation beautiful disaster, but also it could represent how clarity comes from choas (as it says in the song) kinda like sometimes after a lot of craziness or choas the answer is soon found, maybe like WWII or something.
pretty much my favorite song on From Chaos
one of the many songs that I know all the lyrics to
311 is fucking horrible, I just had to post something.....look at the date.
hrehocikj ... don't hate because 311 has way more talent than you. :)
anyway. amazing song with awesome energy. can't wait for 311 day 05. it's going to be amazing
this song is somewhat a continuation of "come original." i think it explains how so many people out there copy my acts and ways because they're unhappy about themselves. therefore, 311 explains how they don't give a flying fuck about the reason the copiers tell them why they copied in the first place, "I'm a perfect example of not giving a fuck," and "glycerin tears don't fool me."
USURP- Pronunciation: \yu̇-ˈsərp also -ˈzərp\ Function: verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French usorper, from Latin usurpare to take possession of without legal claim, from usually (abl. of usus use) + rapere to seize — more at rapid Date: 14th century
transitive verb1 a: to seize and hold (as office, place, or powers) in possession by force or without right b: to take or make use of without right 2: to take the place of by or as if by force : supplant intransitive verb: to seize or exercise authority or possession wrongfully — usur·pa·tion Listen to the pronunciation of usurpation \ˌyü-sər-ˈpā-shən also ˌyü-zər-\ noun — usurp·er Listen to the pronunciation of usurper Listen to the pronunciation of usurper \yu̇-ˈsər-pər also -ˈzər-\ noun
^^ from merriam webster online so i dont get my ass sued
this song reminds me of the line in Speak Easy "If there's a shadow in your life then there's sunshine"