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."
We've been going together
Too long to be vague
When there's something to say
If it's not now then it's never
So I'll say it straight out
'Cause I have no doubt, no doubt
Let's get married
I love you and I want to stay with you
Let's get married
Have kids and grow old and grey with you
Let's get married
Hold hands, walk in the park
You can get a cat as long as it barks
We know other people
Who drifted apart
Who broke each other's hearts
But we ain't other people
So we'll do things our way
We're gonna be okay
We're gonna be more than okay
Let's get married
We're ready for tying the knot
Let's get married
Set the seal on the feelings we've got
Let's get married
We can make each other happy or we can make each other blue
Yeah, it's just a piece of paper, but it it says, "I love you."
For the good times
For the days when we can do no wrong
For the bad times
For the moments when we think we can't go on
For the family
For the lives of the children that we've planned
Let's get married
C'mon darlin', please take my hand
And I'll be the one
Who's by your side
I'll be the one
Still taking pride
When we're old if they ask me,
"How do you define success?"
I'll say, "You meet a woman
You fall in love
You ask her and
She says, 'Yes.'"
Let's get married
I love and I want to stay with you
Let's get married
Have kids and grow old and grey with you
Let's get married
Hold hands when we walk in the park
All right, you can get a cat, just as long as it barks
For the good times
For the days when we can do no wrong
For the bad times
For the moments when we think we can't go on
For the family
For the lives of the children that we've planned
Let's get married
C'mon darlin', please take my hand
Too long to be vague
When there's something to say
If it's not now then it's never
So I'll say it straight out
'Cause I have no doubt, no doubt
Let's get married
I love you and I want to stay with you
Let's get married
Have kids and grow old and grey with you
Let's get married
Hold hands, walk in the park
You can get a cat as long as it barks
We know other people
Who drifted apart
Who broke each other's hearts
But we ain't other people
So we'll do things our way
We're gonna be okay
We're gonna be more than okay
Let's get married
We're ready for tying the knot
Let's get married
Set the seal on the feelings we've got
Let's get married
We can make each other happy or we can make each other blue
Yeah, it's just a piece of paper, but it it says, "I love you."
For the good times
For the days when we can do no wrong
For the bad times
For the moments when we think we can't go on
For the family
For the lives of the children that we've planned
Let's get married
C'mon darlin', please take my hand
And I'll be the one
Who's by your side
I'll be the one
Still taking pride
When we're old if they ask me,
"How do you define success?"
I'll say, "You meet a woman
You fall in love
You ask her and
She says, 'Yes.'"
Let's get married
I love and I want to stay with you
Let's get married
Have kids and grow old and grey with you
Let's get married
Hold hands when we walk in the park
All right, you can get a cat, just as long as it barks
For the good times
For the days when we can do no wrong
For the bad times
For the moments when we think we can't go on
For the family
For the lives of the children that we've planned
Let's get married
C'mon darlin', please take my hand
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Mountain Song
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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.
Magical
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“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.
I love this song. My then fiance (now husband) proposed to me by singing this song at a party we were having. We were all just singing favorite songs with our CDs and he put it on and everyone got silent...It was perfect :) Anyway, simple song to draw meaning from. They have been together a long time and he loves her and wants to be with her forever. He knows that there will be good times and bad times, but as long as they are together everything will work out.