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."
You are the prince of darkness
Arch enemy, father of evil
Hell born, demonic, savage, fierce, vicious, wild
Tame-less, barbaric, ungovernable, uncontrollable, obstinate beast
Horny little devil, you gotta back up
Horny little devil, you can't bust a nut
Lookin' at my girlfriend's black skin
You wanna jump in, but she don't like white men
So don't throw that work you fuckin jerk
Or get your punk devil ass hurt motherfucker
She ain't with the pale face
Cause y'all fuck at a snail's pace
And you might get sprayed with mace
By the ebony
So when she's doing her job you better let her be
Don't try to pinch the gluterus
Thinkin' that you about to knock out the uterus
Cause she'll tell you to kiss her ass quick
And where I'm from, devils get their ass kicked
Mr. Sexual Harassment
Asking for a blow while the answer is "fuck no"
Looks like you wanna terminate
But that's when I go Psycho like Norman Bates
I wanna kill the devil for talkin' shit
Cause he can't get a taste of the chocolate
African breast, cause white bitches got no butt and no chest
Black women have bodies like goddesses
Sorta like Venus, but put away your penis
Cause the devil is a savage motherfucker
That's why I'm lighter than the average brother
Cause you raped our women and we felt it
But it'll never happen again if I can help it (me neither)
Cause nobody in my neighborhood has caught jungle fever yet
So horny little devil, you better listen
Before your ass comes up missin'
And it's like that
Now you wanna get me
Horny little devil must be a F-A-G
Tryin' to fuck me out my land and my manhood
Got broke eating Spam and canned goods
Locking down on my neighborhoods
Treat me less than a man cause right now you got the upper hand
But my ass is a virgin
You might have fucked the Indians
But you can't surgeon me
And when I'm on top I wont be fuckin' ya
I'd rather put a buck in ya
Cause I hate the devil with a passion
And when I see the whites of his eyes I start blastin'
Dig a hole and throw his ass in
And I won't be happy til I'm down to my last ten
Get his fuckin' pitchfork
Tie him up, and then feed the bitch pork
Little devil wanna fuck me out my pay
'Cause horny little devil true niggas aren't gay
And you can't play with my Yo-Yo
And definitely can't play with me you fuckin' homo
Cause we'll blow your head off
And turn that white sheet into a red cloth
Plus when they're all dead
I can quit that jheri juice and get a bald head
Then let it nap up
Go down to the corner store and beat the Jap up
Clean all the crap up
Out my city
Now the whole block look shitty
Put his dick on a wood block
Swing swing swing, and chop chop chop
Now who's the next to nut
Color Me Badd, but you can't sex me up
So don't even try to put a dick in a die
Because this is what why in 1991 I'ma get my gun
Put an end to the devil, so get a fucking shovel
Arch enemy, father of evil
Hell born, demonic, savage, fierce, vicious, wild
Tame-less, barbaric, ungovernable, uncontrollable, obstinate beast
Horny little devil, you gotta back up
Horny little devil, you can't bust a nut
Lookin' at my girlfriend's black skin
You wanna jump in, but she don't like white men
So don't throw that work you fuckin jerk
Or get your punk devil ass hurt motherfucker
She ain't with the pale face
Cause y'all fuck at a snail's pace
And you might get sprayed with mace
By the ebony
So when she's doing her job you better let her be
Don't try to pinch the gluterus
Thinkin' that you about to knock out the uterus
Cause she'll tell you to kiss her ass quick
And where I'm from, devils get their ass kicked
Mr. Sexual Harassment
Asking for a blow while the answer is "fuck no"
Looks like you wanna terminate
But that's when I go Psycho like Norman Bates
I wanna kill the devil for talkin' shit
Cause he can't get a taste of the chocolate
African breast, cause white bitches got no butt and no chest
Black women have bodies like goddesses
Sorta like Venus, but put away your penis
Cause the devil is a savage motherfucker
That's why I'm lighter than the average brother
Cause you raped our women and we felt it
But it'll never happen again if I can help it (me neither)
Cause nobody in my neighborhood has caught jungle fever yet
So horny little devil, you better listen
Before your ass comes up missin'
And it's like that
Now you wanna get me
Horny little devil must be a F-A-G
Tryin' to fuck me out my land and my manhood
Got broke eating Spam and canned goods
Locking down on my neighborhoods
Treat me less than a man cause right now you got the upper hand
But my ass is a virgin
You might have fucked the Indians
But you can't surgeon me
And when I'm on top I wont be fuckin' ya
I'd rather put a buck in ya
Cause I hate the devil with a passion
And when I see the whites of his eyes I start blastin'
Dig a hole and throw his ass in
And I won't be happy til I'm down to my last ten
Get his fuckin' pitchfork
Tie him up, and then feed the bitch pork
Little devil wanna fuck me out my pay
'Cause horny little devil true niggas aren't gay
And you can't play with my Yo-Yo
And definitely can't play with me you fuckin' homo
Cause we'll blow your head off
And turn that white sheet into a red cloth
Plus when they're all dead
I can quit that jheri juice and get a bald head
Then let it nap up
Go down to the corner store and beat the Jap up
Clean all the crap up
Out my city
Now the whole block look shitty
Put his dick on a wood block
Swing swing swing, and chop chop chop
Now who's the next to nut
Color Me Badd, but you can't sex me up
So don't even try to put a dick in a die
Because this is what why in 1991 I'ma get my gun
Put an end to the devil, so get a fucking shovel
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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,
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Quite possibly the most racist song I have ever heard, I shudder to think what the outcry would have been if this roles of 'black' and 'white' in this song were reversed.