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."
Yeah, oh yeah
Alright, oh, oh, oh
It's amazing how you knock me off my feet, hm
Every time you come around me I get weak, oh yeah
Nobody ever made me feel this way, oh
You kiss my lips and then you take my breath away
So I want to know
I want to know what turns you on
I'd like to know (So I can be all that and more)
I'd like to know (I'd like to know what makes you cry)
So I can be the one who always makes you smile
Girl, he never understood what you were worth, hm no
And he never took the time to make it work
(You deserve more loving, girl)
Baby, I'm the kind of man who shows concern, yes I do, oh
Anyway that I can please you let me learn
So I wanna know
I wanna know what turns you on
I wanna know (So I can be all that and more)
I'd like to (I'd like to know what makes you cry)
So (So I can be the one who always makes you smile)
Make you smile, babe
Tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
Tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
I wish that I could take a journey through your mind, alright
And find emotions that you always try to hide, babe, oh
I do believe that there's a love you want to share, oh, oh
I'll take good care of you, lady, have no fear, oh
So I wanna know
I wanna know what turns you on
I wanna know (So I can be all that and more)
And I'd like to (I'd like to know what makes you cry)
So I can be the one who always makes you smile
Uh tell me, tell me, tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
Tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
I wanna know what turns you on
I'd like to know, I'd like to know (So I can be all that and more)
(I wanna know) I'd like to know what makes you cry
(So) So I can be the one who always makes you smile
I'd like to know, I wanna know
I wanna know what turns you on
Tell me, girl
Alright, oh, oh, oh
It's amazing how you knock me off my feet, hm
Every time you come around me I get weak, oh yeah
Nobody ever made me feel this way, oh
You kiss my lips and then you take my breath away
So I want to know
I want to know what turns you on
I'd like to know (So I can be all that and more)
I'd like to know (I'd like to know what makes you cry)
So I can be the one who always makes you smile
Girl, he never understood what you were worth, hm no
And he never took the time to make it work
(You deserve more loving, girl)
Baby, I'm the kind of man who shows concern, yes I do, oh
Anyway that I can please you let me learn
So I wanna know
I wanna know what turns you on
I wanna know (So I can be all that and more)
I'd like to (I'd like to know what makes you cry)
So (So I can be the one who always makes you smile)
Make you smile, babe
Tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
Tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
I wish that I could take a journey through your mind, alright
And find emotions that you always try to hide, babe, oh
I do believe that there's a love you want to share, oh, oh
I'll take good care of you, lady, have no fear, oh
So I wanna know
I wanna know what turns you on
I wanna know (So I can be all that and more)
And I'd like to (I'd like to know what makes you cry)
So I can be the one who always makes you smile
Uh tell me, tell me, tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
Tell me what I gotta do to please you
Baby, anything you say I'll do
'Cause I only want to make you happy
From the bottom of my heart, it's true
I wanna know what turns you on
I'd like to know, I'd like to know (So I can be all that and more)
(I wanna know) I'd like to know what makes you cry
(So) So I can be the one who always makes you smile
I'd like to know, I wanna know
I wanna know what turns you on
Tell me, girl
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If anyone has seen the video for this song it explains it perfectly. Basically this girl is getting treated horribly by her boyfriend (which the singer sees) and he wants to be the 'man' for her, someone better than this shitty boyfriend.
He's professing his feelings to her and wants to know everything about her to make her feel good and special. So he can treat her like she deserves to be treated.
I agree, it's a classic R&B song. One of my favorites.