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."
Driving home to be with you
The highway's dividing, the city's in view
As usual, I'm almost on time
You're the last thing that's on my mind
I wish I could tell you the way that I feel
But tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
No commotion, no screaming brakes
Most of it's over before I awake
From the ceiling, my coffee cup drips
While out my window, the horizon does flips
The worst part was hitting the ground
Not the feeling so much as the sound
Can't help but wonder if all this is real
'Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
Rubberneck traffic and passersby
A slow motion Walter, the fire engine guy
Stand around with their mouths open wide
I heard some idiot ask if someone's inside
With the 'Jaws of Life' they tried and they tried
Nobody here can know how I feel
'Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
I guess it's over now
'Cause I've never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much
Never seen so much
I guess it's over now
'Cause I've never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much blood
In all the confusion, there's something serene
I'm just a posthumous part of the scene
Now I'm floating above looking in
As the radio blares and wheels spin
I can see my face slump with a grin
And you
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
Suddenly things become unsound
Stumbling on the shaky ground
Given arrows to shoot tornadoes down
Shoot them down to the ground
Saw a falling leaf, good luck, jump to grab
Much to our surprise, a butterfly
And it sunk in this induration
Induration in our lives
Inside ourselves, a hidden sun, that burns and burns
But never does any harm to anyone
Shivering madly in the dark
Like an animal abandoned in the car park
And she held me, and then she showed me the
Beauty of the human heart
Inside ourselves, a hidden sun, that burns and burns
But never does any harm to anyone
A hidden sun, that burns and burns
But never does any harm to anyone
Anyone
Ooh, anyone, hmm
Hidden sun (sun)
Hidden sun, ooh (sun)
(Sun)
(Sun)
(Sun)
(Sun)
The highway's dividing, the city's in view
As usual, I'm almost on time
You're the last thing that's on my mind
I wish I could tell you the way that I feel
But tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
No commotion, no screaming brakes
Most of it's over before I awake
From the ceiling, my coffee cup drips
While out my window, the horizon does flips
The worst part was hitting the ground
Not the feeling so much as the sound
Can't help but wonder if all this is real
'Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
Rubberneck traffic and passersby
A slow motion Walter, the fire engine guy
Stand around with their mouths open wide
I heard some idiot ask if someone's inside
With the 'Jaws of Life' they tried and they tried
Nobody here can know how I feel
'Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
I guess it's over now
'Cause I've never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much
Never seen so much
I guess it's over now
'Cause I've never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much blood
In all the confusion, there's something serene
I'm just a posthumous part of the scene
Now I'm floating above looking in
As the radio blares and wheels spin
I can see my face slump with a grin
And you
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
Suddenly things become unsound
Stumbling on the shaky ground
Given arrows to shoot tornadoes down
Shoot them down to the ground
Saw a falling leaf, good luck, jump to grab
Much to our surprise, a butterfly
And it sunk in this induration
Induration in our lives
Inside ourselves, a hidden sun, that burns and burns
But never does any harm to anyone
Shivering madly in the dark
Like an animal abandoned in the car park
And she held me, and then she showed me the
Beauty of the human heart
Inside ourselves, a hidden sun, that burns and burns
But never does any harm to anyone
A hidden sun, that burns and burns
But never does any harm to anyone
Anyone
Ooh, anyone, hmm
Hidden sun (sun)
Hidden sun, ooh (sun)
(Sun)
(Sun)
(Sun)
(Sun)
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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 recently read a book called the Lovely Bones, It really makes you think about how we take living for granted and how we could've already started the events that lead to our dealth. After I finnished the book, I heard this song and I bawled forever! Everytime I hear it I cry and I was spiritually asounded by it's double meaning! the last few lines really get you! I also think that the line saying that he's never seen so much blood really gets to you! Truley amazing tapestry of art!