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."
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
Twenty-four and there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two
Love lost, such a cost
Give me things that don't get lost
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you
Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true
Lullabies, look in your eyes
Run around the same old town
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you
I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past
But I'm all alone at last
Rolling home to you
Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
Twenty-four and there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two
Love lost, such a cost
Give me things that don't get lost
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you
Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true
Lullabies, look in your eyes
Run around the same old town
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you
I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past
But I'm all alone at last
Rolling home to you
Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
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.
This song means so much to me right now. As I am writing this, It's been about 20 hours since my dad died. I'm hurting so bad right now. He struggled with alchoholism for so long and whenever this song came on the radio we would both cry. My father's gone forever now but this song will always make me remember him. Dad, I will never forget you...
How you doing these days, TM? Cheers, man.
@toolmusik What a great thing to say about your father. My dad is 66 and still in perfect health, but I know that I'm sure gonna miss him when his time comes.
@toolmusik Dang dude that’s deep! If i was there I would shake your hand and tell you it’ll be alright!
this song makes me think about my dad. my mom always calls me little Philip (which is my dad's name). i think it is about a man who is repeating his father's mistakes, and then is calling his dad a hypocrite when he gets pissed about it. it's also a statement of proof that they really are a lot the same, thus removing justification for his anger... hueoh, too many big words.
According to the decade book, in Neils own hand: "I wrote this for the caretaker of my ranch after I purchased it in 1970. Special thanks to James Taylor for his banjo playing."
banjo played by James Taylor...
Yeah, i read about how Young stayed at this farm one time and wrote this song inspired be the old man who owned it...don't quote me on this though...
@jehosefat true story. Young wanted a place where he wouldn't be bothered, saw a ranch for sale in Northern California and went to look at it. He told the old man he wanted to buy it, and when the old man asked him how such a young man could afford it, Young responded: "just lucky, I guess". After buying the ranch, Young allowed the old man and his wife to live there as care takers for the rest of their lives.
@jehosefat Thanks.... I was trying to figure out who was playing banjo
This songs not about his father. He wrote it about a caretaker/owner of a rance he bought in California in 1970.
This song is indeed about an old man who lived with him on the ranch he purchased in California, however whenever I listen to this song I can't help but be reminded of my father and I, and how similar our lives have turned out to be. It can mean whatever you want it to. They don't call people like Mr. Young music ARTISTS for no reason. A picture or painting says a thousand words, a song can say millions. I'm 23 and have been fortunate enough to grow up with great music like this. Like a famous painting, this song will never grow old.
Like some here say, the song was about his ranch0hand at the ranch he bought at the time. Neil's father left when he was very young. From; Don't be Denied.<br /> <br /> When I was a young boy<br /> My Momma said to me<br /> You're Daddy's leavin' home today<br /> I think he's gone to stay<br /> We packed up all our bags <br /> and drove out to Winnipeg.
It's about the janitor/custodian guy on his ranch. Sad character, and a real sad, melancholic number. Haunting.
yup, i am watching "heart of gold" right now on netflix and he just said that when he first became a rich hippy and bought the ranch he still lives on that he wrote that song for the old man who lived on the property with his wife and took care of the place. Neil young is one of the guys that make me proud to be a canadian, he has so much diversity has done so much for so many young performers in the music industry it just inspiring.
Absolutely correct. I recently saw an old BBC special on Youtube where he refers to this song a 'new'. (WOW!!!). Before he performs the song he says he bought a Ranch and the song was about the old ranch-hand that was running the place when he bought it.
This is one awesome fucking song.. puts you in quite the melancholy mood. My own little interpretation to the song is as follows: a younger man reflecting upon his hardships, and although they may be fewer than a man twice his age, he feels as though he hurts just as much as the older man.
I think that's a brilliant interpretation.
Interesting to read everyone's thoughts on this one. I hadn't heard the story about the farmer. I'd always fallen in line with the father-son story. But I think it can be more generally interpreted to just be about dealing with the disappointment of your elders, the expectations that are passed between generations, and the constant struggle to define oneself as separate from everything and everyone else.
Definitely a classic in my book.
For those poeple who commented that this song has no meaning , abviously you are not very observent. If you look into the contrast of these lyrics and know that he was kicked out of his home then you will realize that maybe he hekd a grudge for many against his father , and then when he realized that his father did the same thing that he would have in that situation maybe then he noticed that he was alot like his father was.