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."
(Chorus)
You abandoned P
Now he don't have no where to go
No where to go no where to go I guess I'll sell dope
No where to go no where to go I guess I'll sell dope
Verse 1
Giggety glock and I'm out there slanging cocaine
I guess its hard growing up without your family man
Mommy left him cause they always used to fuss and fight
I used to cry at night, hope that dad would act right
Tripping off my mommy, daddy started drinking gin
Dropped me off at my grandma house I ain't seen him since
Sometimes I don't need my grandma she don't mean no harm
Cause she got 12 kids to feed on her own
Now I'm stuck up in the ghetto with the hoodrats
Trying to get paid off the cluckers and the county check
10 years old and I'm out there slanging cocaine
No love from my family, just love from the game
No one to turn to so I'm out there slanging crack
Keeps the giggety giggety nine up in my booksack
And if I die today or tomorrow I guess I'm out of luck
A bastard child all alone so I'm stuck
(Chorus)
Verse 2
A unwanted child a victim of the ghetto
Labeled as a lowlife, a go getter
An outcast looked down by the system g
A menace to society a brother without a family
And everytime I see a room without a damn ceiling
It remind me I was born in a abandoned building
Cause in the ghetto you gotta learn the dirty dance
In other words you gotta learn to throw them thangs
A snotty nose kid without no food to eat
My role models were the dealers ??
Dripping wet you see my pamper leaking
But mama tripping cause she too busy out there tweeking
Our baby sitter was a tore up dope fiend
I almost died, drunk a whole bottle of chlorine
And when I think about my pass I don't crack a smile
Cause it hurt knowing I was a bastard child
(Chorus)
You abandoned P
Now he don't have no where to go
No where to go no where to go I guess I'll sell dope
No where to go no where to go I guess I'll sell dope
Verse 1
Giggety glock and I'm out there slanging cocaine
I guess its hard growing up without your family man
Mommy left him cause they always used to fuss and fight
I used to cry at night, hope that dad would act right
Tripping off my mommy, daddy started drinking gin
Dropped me off at my grandma house I ain't seen him since
Sometimes I don't need my grandma she don't mean no harm
Cause she got 12 kids to feed on her own
Now I'm stuck up in the ghetto with the hoodrats
Trying to get paid off the cluckers and the county check
10 years old and I'm out there slanging cocaine
No love from my family, just love from the game
No one to turn to so I'm out there slanging crack
Keeps the giggety giggety nine up in my booksack
And if I die today or tomorrow I guess I'm out of luck
A bastard child all alone so I'm stuck
(Chorus)
Verse 2
A unwanted child a victim of the ghetto
Labeled as a lowlife, a go getter
An outcast looked down by the system g
A menace to society a brother without a family
And everytime I see a room without a damn ceiling
It remind me I was born in a abandoned building
Cause in the ghetto you gotta learn the dirty dance
In other words you gotta learn to throw them thangs
A snotty nose kid without no food to eat
My role models were the dealers ??
Dripping wet you see my pamper leaking
But mama tripping cause she too busy out there tweeking
Our baby sitter was a tore up dope fiend
I almost died, drunk a whole bottle of chlorine
And when I think about my pass I don't crack a smile
Cause it hurt knowing I was a bastard child
(Chorus)
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.