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."
Grease
I saw my problems and I'll see the light
We got a lovin' thing, we gotta feed it right
There ain't no danger we can go too far
We start believin' now that we can be who we are - grease is the word
They think our love is just a growin' pain
Why don't they understand? It's just a cryin' shame
Their lips are lyin', only real is real
We stop the fight right now, we got to be what we feel - grease is the word
Chorus:
(Grease is the word, is the word that you heard)
It's got a groove, it's got a meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling
We take the pressure, and we throw away conventionality, belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believin' now that we can be who we are - grease is the word
Chorus
This is a life of illusion, a life of control
Mixed with confusion - what're we doin' here?
We take the pressure, and we throw away conventionality, belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believin' now that we can be who we are - grease is the word
chorus repeats 2x
(Grease is the word, is the word, is the word...)
I saw my problems and I'll see the light
We got a lovin' thing, we gotta feed it right
There ain't no danger we can go too far
We start believin' now that we can be who we are - grease is the word
They think our love is just a growin' pain
Why don't they understand? It's just a cryin' shame
Their lips are lyin', only real is real
We stop the fight right now, we got to be what we feel - grease is the word
Chorus:
(Grease is the word, is the word that you heard)
It's got a groove, it's got a meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling
We take the pressure, and we throw away conventionality, belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believin' now that we can be who we are - grease is the word
Chorus
This is a life of illusion, a life of control
Mixed with confusion - what're we doin' here?
We take the pressure, and we throw away conventionality, belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believin' now that we can be who we are - grease is the word
chorus repeats 2x
(Grease is the word, is the word, is the word...)
Lyrics submitted by Redbabe04
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Trouble Breathing
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
While the obvious connections with suicide or alcoholism could be drawn easily, more subtly this song could be about someone who views the world through a negative lens constantly and how as much as the writer tries to show the beauty in the world, this person refuses to see it. It's one or another between the rope and the bottle. There is no good option for this person. They can't see it. Skiba sings it in a kind of exasperated way like He's tired of hearing this negative view constantly and just allowing that person to continue feeling the way they feel knowing he can't do anything about it. You can hear it when he says maybe you're a vampire.
Another Love
Tom Odell
Tom Odell
I think the meaning is pretty clear. This person got really burned in a previous relationship, and because of this is unable to love and show care in his present one, even though he so badly wants to. It's lovely song, and very sad. You can really feel how defeated and frustrated he is with himself.
A cool song and to me, the best song on the grease sound track because it sounds 50ish.
It's about a relationship in the "constricted" 50's between a "bad" guy and a "good" girl. A relationship that everyone tells them shouldn't be. They are "different" types of people.
He says "There ain't no danger we can go too far" which means that they are in love even though "society" says thay are not right for each other. He is saying that there isn't a danger of them being allowed to love each other and being together forever.
He then says "we start believin' now that we can be who we are". I take this to mean that if they just start believing that they can be what they want (two people in love) and not what "society" wants (just a summer fling, get over it), then they can find happiness.
"they think our love is just a growing pain, Why don't they understand? It's just a crying shame".
Why don't the adults understand that it is true love and not just a "growing pain"? He can't understand and feels sorry for them that they can't see that they are in love.
"Their lips are lyin', only real is real". The adults are lying to them but they know that their relationship is for real.
"we take the pressure" (from everyone about them not "being right" for each other.
"conventionality belongs to yesterday". The old way of thinking (good girls go with good guys and bad girls go with bad guys) is out and a new way of thinking is in (good girls and bad guys or whomever. There is no right and wrong guy for a girl and vice versa).
"this is a life of illusion" (you have to "look" the part, i.e. good girl bad guy)
"a life of control" (ONLY bad girls with bad guys. This way of thinking is a way of control in keeping certain people with certain people)
"mixed with confusion-- what're we doing here?" They are confused about everything right now and wonder if maybe they should go somewhere where these barriers don't exist.
The song makes sense if you've seen the movie. Travolta is a bad guy and the girl (can't remember her name) is a good girl. They are two different types of people, but they are in love.
Peace.
Wow...I was just going to say I love this movie.
Still yeah, what Mike said
Gosh I'm not sure what my favorite song is from the movie. My dad's is Hopelessly Devoted to You. This movie brings back so many good memories. My favorite is going to the drive in. I don't know how many times we saw it at the drive in. I remember my parents dressed me in my jammies, made me a little "bed" in the backseat of their Chevelle (or Mailbu, or Chevette...I was only five so I can't quite remember - but it had red interior) and we went to the drive-in to see the movie. Oh I miss those days!