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."
You are hardcore, you make me hard
You name the drama and I'll play the part
It seems I saw you in some teenage wet dream
I like your get-up, if you know what I mean
I want it bad
I want it now
Oh, can't you see I'm ready now?
I've seen all the pictures, I've studied them forever
I want to make a movie, so let's star in it together
Don't make a move till I say "action"
Oh, here comes the hardcore life
Put your money where your mouth is tonight
Leave your make-up on and I'll leave on the light
Come over here, babe, and talk in the mic
Oh yeah, I hear you now
It's gonna be one hell of a night
You can't be a spectator, oh no
You got to take these dreams and make them whole
Oh, this is hardcore
There is no way back for you
Oh, this is hardcore
This is me on top of you
And I can't believe it took me this long
That it took me this long
This is the eye of the storm
It's what men in stained raincoats pay for
But in here it is pure, yeah
This is the end of the line
I've seen the storyline played out so many times before
Oh, that goes in there
Then that goes in there
Then that goes in there
Then that goes in there
And then it's over
Oh, what a hell of a show
But what I want to know
What exactly do you do for an encore?
'Cause this is hardcore
You name the drama and I'll play the part
It seems I saw you in some teenage wet dream
I like your get-up, if you know what I mean
I want it bad
I want it now
Oh, can't you see I'm ready now?
I've seen all the pictures, I've studied them forever
I want to make a movie, so let's star in it together
Don't make a move till I say "action"
Oh, here comes the hardcore life
Put your money where your mouth is tonight
Leave your make-up on and I'll leave on the light
Come over here, babe, and talk in the mic
Oh yeah, I hear you now
It's gonna be one hell of a night
You can't be a spectator, oh no
You got to take these dreams and make them whole
Oh, this is hardcore
There is no way back for you
Oh, this is hardcore
This is me on top of you
And I can't believe it took me this long
That it took me this long
This is the eye of the storm
It's what men in stained raincoats pay for
But in here it is pure, yeah
This is the end of the line
I've seen the storyline played out so many times before
Oh, that goes in there
Then that goes in there
Then that goes in there
Then that goes in there
And then it's over
Oh, what a hell of a show
But what I want to know
What exactly do you do for an encore?
'Cause this is hardcore
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Mountain Song
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