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."
Well, it's 3 AM, I'm out here riding again
Through the wicked winding streets of my world
I make a wrong turn, brake it now, I'm too far gone
I got a siren on my tail
And that ain't the fine I'm looking for
I see a stairway so I follow it down
Into the belly of a whale
Where my secrets echo all around
You know me now but to do better than that
You've got to follow me
Boy, I'm trying to show you where I'm at
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Through my world
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna kick and slide?
Through my world
Well, I've got a mind full of wicked designs
I've got a non-stop hole in my head imagination
I'm in a building that has two thousand floors
And when they all fall down
I think you know it's you they're fallin' for
I can't forget I am a soul architect
I built the shadows here
I built the growl in the voice, I fear
You add it up, but to do better than that
You've got to follow me
Boy, I'm trying to show you where I'm at
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Through my world
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna kick and slide
Through my world
Hey pretty
My pretty baby
Rocket through my world (see through my world)
Hey pretty (hey pretty)
My pretty baby
Rocket through my world (my world)
Hey now
Can't you feel me longing?
(D-D-Do you get the gist of the song now?)
Hey now
Can't you feel me?
(Feel me now)
Hey pretty (hey pretty, hey pretty)
(My pretty baby)
Hey pretty baby
Don't you want to take a ride with me?
Don't you want to take a ride with me?
(My baby)
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
(My baby)
My pretty baby
(Don't you wanna)
Rocket through my world (my world)
Don't you wanna take a ride with me? (my baby)
Don't you wanna (my baby)
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Do you get the gist of the song now?
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Do you get the gist of the song now?
My pretty baby
Through the wicked winding streets of my world
I make a wrong turn, brake it now, I'm too far gone
I got a siren on my tail
And that ain't the fine I'm looking for
I see a stairway so I follow it down
Into the belly of a whale
Where my secrets echo all around
You know me now but to do better than that
You've got to follow me
Boy, I'm trying to show you where I'm at
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Through my world
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna kick and slide?
Through my world
Well, I've got a mind full of wicked designs
I've got a non-stop hole in my head imagination
I'm in a building that has two thousand floors
And when they all fall down
I think you know it's you they're fallin' for
I can't forget I am a soul architect
I built the shadows here
I built the growl in the voice, I fear
You add it up, but to do better than that
You've got to follow me
Boy, I'm trying to show you where I'm at
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Through my world
Hey pretty
Don't you wanna kick and slide
Through my world
Hey pretty
My pretty baby
Rocket through my world (see through my world)
Hey pretty (hey pretty)
My pretty baby
Rocket through my world (my world)
Hey now
Can't you feel me longing?
(D-D-Do you get the gist of the song now?)
Hey now
Can't you feel me?
(Feel me now)
Hey pretty (hey pretty, hey pretty)
(My pretty baby)
Hey pretty baby
Don't you want to take a ride with me?
Don't you want to take a ride with me?
(My baby)
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
(My baby)
My pretty baby
(Don't you wanna)
Rocket through my world (my world)
Don't you wanna take a ride with me? (my baby)
Don't you wanna (my baby)
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Do you get the gist of the song now?
Don't you wanna take a ride with me?
Do you get the gist of the song now?
My pretty baby
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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.
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.
There is an even longer version of the song. I've heard it a few times. I don't have it memorized, so I can't post it. I like it better though because it goes into more detail and whatever.