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."
Every Sunday morning in front of the TV
Recording with a microphone Naya Zindagi
Pioneer Gurdas Maan
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Kept our parents alive
Gave them the will to survive
Working inna de factories
Sometimes sweeping de floor
Unsung heroines an heroes
Yes they open de door
They came a long time ago
But now it seems we've arrived
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
New Way New Life
Stayed an we fought an now de future's open wide
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Zindagi!
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
Tjinder pon de radio
Dis is England's new voice
Censorship for years
But now dem have no choice
Running through de playground
We could never have known
Dat in de future
Our role models would be home grown
And now we're walking down de street
Wid a brand new pride
A spring inna de step
Wid our heads held high
Young Asian brothers an sisters
Moving forward, side by side
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
New Way New Life
Our opportunity will no longer be denied
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
And we're supposed to be cool
Inna de dance our riddims rule
But we knew it all along
'cause our parents made us strong
Never abandoned our culture
Just been moving it along
Technology our tradition
Innovation inna the song
Now de struggle continues
To reverse every wrong
New heroines and heroes
Inna de battle we belong
When we reach de glass ceiling
We will blow it sky high
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
New Way New Life
Stayed an we fought an now de future's open wide
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Zindagi!
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
Recording with a microphone Naya Zindagi
Pioneer Gurdas Maan
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Kept our parents alive
Gave them the will to survive
Working inna de factories
Sometimes sweeping de floor
Unsung heroines an heroes
Yes they open de door
They came a long time ago
But now it seems we've arrived
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
New Way New Life
Stayed an we fought an now de future's open wide
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Zindagi!
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
Tjinder pon de radio
Dis is England's new voice
Censorship for years
But now dem have no choice
Running through de playground
We could never have known
Dat in de future
Our role models would be home grown
And now we're walking down de street
Wid a brand new pride
A spring inna de step
Wid our heads held high
Young Asian brothers an sisters
Moving forward, side by side
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
New Way New Life
Our opportunity will no longer be denied
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
And we're supposed to be cool
Inna de dance our riddims rule
But we knew it all along
'cause our parents made us strong
Never abandoned our culture
Just been moving it along
Technology our tradition
Innovation inna the song
Now de struggle continues
To reverse every wrong
New heroines and heroes
Inna de battle we belong
When we reach de glass ceiling
We will blow it sky high
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
New Way New Life
Stayed an we fought an now de future's open wide
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Zindagi!
New Way New Life
Naya Zindagi! Naya Jeevan
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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,
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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.
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even if this song was in bengali (huh huh huh) it would still be incredibly euphoric and celebratory to me. that it's in english and i can understand ever word simply elevates it from a simply very happy-sounding piece of music to one of the most euphoric, celebratory, inspiring songs i've ever heard. and im about as asian as ingmar bergman. forza desis!