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."
Darkness falls like
A black leather jacket
And melts into the sidewalk
Like a sleeping drunk
In the streets, the wind
Throws yesterday's headlines around
Another night comes and goes
So for awhile back then
There was someplace to go
Somewhere more home than a house
A family of choice not an accident
But sometimes as soon as something
Gets started it's over
Now the days are much shorter
And the people from the good part of town
All come around, but the something is missing
Even though there's more there now
I shrug off my attempts to explain
How a torn T-shirt made it all danger again
I don't like flashbacks in movies
I like the story to proceed
I don't like talking about the old days
Except if it tells where the future will lead
So we take a walk down this haunted hall
Or stumble through a shattered recall
I know there's nothing to relive
It's just he shape of it all
I don't want it different
I don't want it again
But value for value
I'd never want it to end
You thin of the old friends
And faced no more to be seen
You think how much fun
A line-up would mean
And once that tape starts playing
It's too hard to make it rewind
That one special face takes over your mind
That end of the run
We almost won
The end of the run
We had our fun
The end of the run
The end of the run
I knew it then
It won't be back again
We stood in the cold night
Though we should be warm in the back of the lot
With me in your arms
The sun was falling
The grey rain was poring
The cars were all dirty and slow
We both had our kiss
And out of the depths and darkness
With my eyes closed
I still see you fine
That was the season
We make our dreams come true
There was no limit to what we could do
The end of the run
We almost won
The end of the run
We had our fun
The end of the run
I knew it then
He won't be back again
Once that tape starts playing
It's too hard to make it rewind
With my eyes closed I still see you fine
That was the season
We make our dreams come true
There was no limit tot what we could do
The end of the run
We almost won
The end of the run
We had our fun
The end of the run
I knew it then
He won't be back again
A black leather jacket
And melts into the sidewalk
Like a sleeping drunk
In the streets, the wind
Throws yesterday's headlines around
Another night comes and goes
So for awhile back then
There was someplace to go
Somewhere more home than a house
A family of choice not an accident
But sometimes as soon as something
Gets started it's over
Now the days are much shorter
And the people from the good part of town
All come around, but the something is missing
Even though there's more there now
I shrug off my attempts to explain
How a torn T-shirt made it all danger again
I don't like flashbacks in movies
I like the story to proceed
I don't like talking about the old days
Except if it tells where the future will lead
So we take a walk down this haunted hall
Or stumble through a shattered recall
I know there's nothing to relive
It's just he shape of it all
I don't want it different
I don't want it again
But value for value
I'd never want it to end
You thin of the old friends
And faced no more to be seen
You think how much fun
A line-up would mean
And once that tape starts playing
It's too hard to make it rewind
That one special face takes over your mind
That end of the run
We almost won
The end of the run
We had our fun
The end of the run
The end of the run
I knew it then
It won't be back again
We stood in the cold night
Though we should be warm in the back of the lot
With me in your arms
The sun was falling
The grey rain was poring
The cars were all dirty and slow
We both had our kiss
And out of the depths and darkness
With my eyes closed
I still see you fine
That was the season
We make our dreams come true
There was no limit to what we could do
The end of the run
We almost won
The end of the run
We had our fun
The end of the run
I knew it then
He won't be back again
Once that tape starts playing
It's too hard to make it rewind
With my eyes closed I still see you fine
That was the season
We make our dreams come true
There was no limit tot what we could do
The end of the run
We almost won
The end of the run
We had our fun
The end of the run
I knew it then
He won't be back again
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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