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."
There's a feeling I get when I look to the sky
As if someone is watching,
Someone hears every word.
We are filled with regrets, it was such a short time,
But we told Him we loved you, hoping somehow He heard.
We hoped He heard
You were with us for a while and He took you,
and He made your mama cry.
I can see it in her eyes, there's a question as to why.
And after all this time still I find that I'm without an answer.
Good Bye. Bye love.
As if someone is watching,
Someone hears every word.
We are filled with regrets, it was such a short time,
But we told Him we loved you, hoping somehow He heard.
We hoped He heard
You were with us for a while and He took you,
and He made your mama cry.
I can see it in her eyes, there's a question as to why.
And after all this time still I find that I'm without an answer.
Good Bye. Bye love.
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Song for Emma Lyrics as written by Joseph Fidler Walsh
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Joe wrote this song about his daughter Emma, who died in a car accident when she was 3 years old. Stevie Nicks then wrote a song for Joe called "Has anyone written anything for you". Quite obviously, Joe is referring to God, when he says "Him".
This has long been a moving song for me, but the meaning was a bit ambiguous, so my unconscious mind morphed it into something that had personal meaning for me, but I'm seeing now was not quite accurate. Seeing the printed lyrics above for the first time, the capitalized Him gives it away. It is apparently about an infant who died. I always thought it may have been about a teen who died or rather ran away and disappeared, possibly even a teen suicide, and the "him" (other than the "He took you" part) was he who died. I heard the one verse as "And it made your momma cry", and it made sense to me on that level. This was also before I knew the title was "Song for Emma".
Not at all to detract from Mr. Walsh's awesome lyrics and the story they tell, I think "we told him 'we love you'/we hope somehow he heard" as a standalone lyric could be very intensely moving when you apply it to notion of a young person who disappeared, got into drugs, became mentally ill living somewhere on the streets, etc. The one problem with this notion is that if the parents were loving enough to cry out "we hope he heard", chances are that their child would not have ended up in such a dire predicament, but sometimes events conspire against even the most loving families.
In specificity,this song contains many numerous events. Firstly,Joe's daughter was in a car wreck while being taken to her kindergarden.She had too many internal injuries to save her.She died in the hospital at the age of 3 years. secondly,Joe witnessed a "man"who was actually an angel or god.People in that time period had extremely dveloped extrasensoric perception.Who he saw was the person who would take her to "heaven".This phenomena was very common at that time. The person referred to as an angelic person did hear everything.He also knew everything. There are many reasons to extract people who are dying,so,not much may be stated about that. At the end of the song it says "goodbye.Bye Emma";not "Bye love".
Joe wrote this about his daughter Emma who died in a car crash when she was three and a half. Joe is saying that God took her away and hurt both him and the child's mother. Every day they would ask God 'why' and still have yet to receive an answer. It's a sad song yet beautiful as Joe put so much heart into writing it in honor of his little girls memory.
Beautiful song Joe! I know you must still really miss Emma. Our granddaughter is due to be born in June. Emma we know you are up there with
him, please bless our little granddaughter her name will be Emma, Please watch over her till she arrives here on earth. Thank you!!
Joe Walsh:”Song For Emma” song: I listened to this song for the first time since 1974;at June 1,2010. I am a professional "psychic". what I heard in this recording was very interesting.Due to rerecording;and refinement of the music,many parts were difficult to hear. To begin,I observed Emma to be very smart.She was obedient,cheerfull[but,not happy at the time of the recording],not mischevious,displayed great discipline,soke clearly and fastly,had a lower tone of voice than normal,seemed surprised when Joe said they loved her[as though she were not told that in the physical plane],she was demanding,and she was with "Ila"[Eila or Ila is a male or female Hebrew name meaning “tree”]. These conversations I heard while listening for sopirit conversations[I heard noise in the background indicating spirit presence.Spirits usually love being recorded]:
“Song For Emma”: [Beginning Of Song]: Taps on glass or plastic window Something[similar to a chair]fell with a loud sound [woman]”Okay,Emma,watch” [woman]”Emma,look around” there's a feeling I get when I look to the sky As if someone is watching, Someone hears every word. [woman]”He heard” [girl]”I want my momma!””Where’s Momma?” [woman]”I don’t know” [woman]”Emma” [man]”Emma,there’s nothing you can do” [girl]”I want my momma” We are filled with regrets, it was such a short time, [woman]”Emma” [man]”Don’t,Emma” [girl]”Where’s my momma?” But we told Him we loved you, hoping somehow He heard. [girl]”He loves me” Taps on microphone [woman]”See?He can’t hear” [man]”wait” [woman]”Emma,don’t do that” [girl]”I want my momma!” We hoped He heard [man]”we heard” [woman]”We heard” [woman]”We always hear all of the prople” [girl]”Iwant my momma” [woman]”We hear everybody” [woman]”Emma,don’t” [girl]”I want him to see” [woman]”He doesn’t know it’s you” [woman]”Emma,let’s go” [girl]”I’m not ready to leave” [girl]”?” [woman]”You can’t be here” [woman]””They wouldn’t live” [girl]”They can’t see me” [girl]”I want to go back” [woman]”You can’t go back” [girl]”I want to go back home” [woman]”Emma,can’t you see?” [girl]”I want my momma to come with me” [woman]”They don’t even know” You were with us for a while and He took you, [girl]”They took me” And He made your mama cry. Girl yells [girl]”momma cried” [girl]”momma,don’t cry” Girl Cried very hard [girl]”They loved me” I can see it in her eyes, there's a question as to why. [girl]”Why did you take me?” And after all this time still I find that I'm without an answer. [girl]”momma loves me” [girl]”Answer him” [woman]”He won’t believe it” Good Bye. Bye love. [Joe singing]”Bye love” [man]”Let’s leave” [man,sadly]”Bye,Emma” [man]”Emma” [woman]”Say goodbye” [girl]”Bye”[then cried] [man]”Ila” [woman]”Ila,it’s time to leave” [woman]”Ila,let’s leave” Tapped hard Tapped very hard Caused feedback in the microphone Tapped before fadeout
@RobertHocker I never heard that story.\r\nIt’s amazing!\r\nThank you.