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."
Standing at the crossroads
World spinning 'round and 'round
Know which way I'm going
You can't bring me down
Don't you try and teach me no original sin
I don't need your pity for the shape I'm in
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me, oh oh
Tell me I'm a sinner, I've got news for you
I spoke to God this morning and He don't like you
For telling all the people the original sin
He says He knows you better than you'll ever know Him
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me
You know it ain't easy
You know it ain't fair
So don't try and please me
Because I really don't care
Don't tell me stories
'Cause yesterday's glories
Have gone away, so far away
I've heard it said there's a light up ahead
Lord, I hope and pray I'm here to stay
Tell me I'm a sinner, I've got news for you
I spoke to God this morning and He don't like you
Don't you try and teach me no original sin
I don't need your pity for the shape I'm in
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me (don't, don't, don't)
World spinning 'round and 'round
Know which way I'm going
You can't bring me down
Don't you try and teach me no original sin
I don't need your pity for the shape I'm in
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me, oh oh
Tell me I'm a sinner, I've got news for you
I spoke to God this morning and He don't like you
For telling all the people the original sin
He says He knows you better than you'll ever know Him
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me
You know it ain't easy
You know it ain't fair
So don't try and please me
Because I really don't care
Don't tell me stories
'Cause yesterday's glories
Have gone away, so far away
I've heard it said there's a light up ahead
Lord, I hope and pray I'm here to stay
Tell me I'm a sinner, I've got news for you
I spoke to God this morning and He don't like you
Don't you try and teach me no original sin
I don't need your pity for the shape I'm in
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want the world to change me
I don't want to change the world
I don't want to world to change me (don't, don't, don't)
Lyrics submitted by A-PuNKRoCK-FReaK
I Don't Want To Change the World Lyrics as written by Randolph Frank Castillo John Osbourne
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
"Let me live my life and you live yours." That's the general theme. Don't preach or push your religion or ideals on me, and I won't push my music or lifestlye of you. It's aimed at the pious religious right attempting to press their values onto society as a whole. Generally it says to be yourself and live your own life without impeding onto the lives of others.
If Ozzy doesn't try to change the world, then why should they try to change him? Today most people have a vision of the ideal person. Obviously there are people (like Ozzy) who want to be noncomformists. If people just leave him alone the way he is, hes not going to mess with them.
Great song...
What? I don't get it.
There are so many people out there, generally conformists like OzzyGurly stated, that look on other people that aren't like them in a demeaning manner, and consider them either inferior or insane. If you don't fit into their ideal personality type, they will try to bring you down and tear you up. I think Ozzy probably got a lot of this, especially from parents, and just got sick of it. Like he said, he's not trying to change the world, he's not trying to get other people to do what he wants, he's just being himself. I don't necessarilly think that he's making a definite effort to be a nonconformist, that's just the way he is. You stay out of my business, and I'll stay out of yours. The lyrics "I spoke to God this morning and He don't like you" basically mean that nobody is perfect, and anyone that's trying to convey that they are should step down from their high horse. He's made his peace with God, he's comfortable with who he is, and that's all that matters.