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."
"And now, the wonderous world of.."
"Hey, come to Los Angeles!
You and your family can have peace and tranquility.
Enjoy the refinement.."
"Hey Bone, hey nigga where you at though?"
"Hello, my name is Elaine
And I'll be your tour guide through South Central Los Angeles"
How to survive in South Central (what you do?)
A place where bustin a cap is fundamental
No, you can't find the shit in a handbook
Take a close look, at a rap crook
Rule number one: get yourself a gun
A nine in your ass'll be fine
Keep it in your glove comparment
Cause jackers (yo) they love to start shit
Now if you're white you can trust the police
But if you're black they ain't nothin but beasts
Watch out for the kill
Don't make a false move and keep your hands on the steering wheel
And don't get smart
Answer all questions, and that's your first lesson
On stayin alive
In South Central, yeah, that's how you survive
"Hi this is Elaine again.
Are you enjoying your stay in South Central Los Angeles,
Or is somebody taking your things? Have you witneesed a driveby?
Okay, make sure you have your camcorder ready
To witness the extracurricular activities on blacks by the police,
So you and your family can enjoy this tape, over and over again."
"This is Los Angeles." "This is Los Angeles."
Rule number two: don't trust nobody
Especially a bitch, with a hooker's body
Cause it ain't nuttin but a trap
And females'll get jacked and kidnapped
You'll wind up dead
Just to be safe don't wear no blue or red
Cause most niggaz get got
In either L.A., Compton or Watts
Pissed-off black human beings
So I think you better skip the sight-seeing
And if you're nuttin but a mark
Make sure that you're in before dark
But if you need some affection mate
Make sure the bitch ain't a section eight
Cause if so that's a monkey-wrench hoe
And you won't survive in South Central
"Now you realize it's not all that it's cracked up to be.
You realize that it's fucked up!
It ain't nothin like the shit you saw on TV.
Palm trees and blonde bitches?
I'd advise to you to pack your shit and get the fuck on;
Punk motherfucker!"
And you need your ass straight smoked
Yo I want to say whassup to DJ Chilly Chill
Sir Jinx, aiyyo Cube these motherfuckers don't know what time it is
So show these motherfuckers what's happenin
Tell these motherfuckers, don't fuck around in South Central
God damnit!
Rule number three: don't get caught up
Cause niggaz are doing anything that's thought up
And they got a vice
On everything from dope, to stolen merchandise
We discern
Cause South Central L.A., is one big yearn
Waitin for a brother like you to catch a disease
And start slangin ki's
To an undercover or the wrong brother
And they'll smother, a out of town motherfucker
So don't take your life for granted
Cause it's the craziest place on the planet
In L.A. heroes don't fly through the sky of stars
They live behind bars
So everybody's doin a little dirt
And it's the youngsters puttin in the most work
So be alert and stay calm
As you enter, the concrete Vietnam
You say, the strong survive
Shit, the strong even die, in South Central
Yeah you bitches, you think I forgot about your ass,
You tramp-ass hoes? You better watch out.
And for you so called baller-ass niggaz,
You know what time it is. South Central ain't no joke.
Got to keep your gat at all times motherfuckers.
Better keep one in the chamber and nine in the clip god damnit.
You'll sho' get got, just like that.
This ain't no joke motherfuckers.
Now I want to send a shout-out to E-Dog, the engineer,
Puttin his two cents in..
"This is Los Angeles."
"Hey, come to Los Angeles!
You and your family can have peace and tranquility.
Enjoy the refinement.."
"Hey Bone, hey nigga where you at though?"
"Hello, my name is Elaine
And I'll be your tour guide through South Central Los Angeles"
How to survive in South Central (what you do?)
A place where bustin a cap is fundamental
No, you can't find the shit in a handbook
Take a close look, at a rap crook
Rule number one: get yourself a gun
A nine in your ass'll be fine
Keep it in your glove comparment
Cause jackers (yo) they love to start shit
Now if you're white you can trust the police
But if you're black they ain't nothin but beasts
Watch out for the kill
Don't make a false move and keep your hands on the steering wheel
And don't get smart
Answer all questions, and that's your first lesson
On stayin alive
In South Central, yeah, that's how you survive
"Hi this is Elaine again.
Are you enjoying your stay in South Central Los Angeles,
Or is somebody taking your things? Have you witneesed a driveby?
Okay, make sure you have your camcorder ready
To witness the extracurricular activities on blacks by the police,
So you and your family can enjoy this tape, over and over again."
"This is Los Angeles." "This is Los Angeles."
Rule number two: don't trust nobody
Especially a bitch, with a hooker's body
Cause it ain't nuttin but a trap
And females'll get jacked and kidnapped
You'll wind up dead
Just to be safe don't wear no blue or red
Cause most niggaz get got
In either L.A., Compton or Watts
Pissed-off black human beings
So I think you better skip the sight-seeing
And if you're nuttin but a mark
Make sure that you're in before dark
But if you need some affection mate
Make sure the bitch ain't a section eight
Cause if so that's a monkey-wrench hoe
And you won't survive in South Central
"Now you realize it's not all that it's cracked up to be.
You realize that it's fucked up!
It ain't nothin like the shit you saw on TV.
Palm trees and blonde bitches?
I'd advise to you to pack your shit and get the fuck on;
Punk motherfucker!"
And you need your ass straight smoked
Yo I want to say whassup to DJ Chilly Chill
Sir Jinx, aiyyo Cube these motherfuckers don't know what time it is
So show these motherfuckers what's happenin
Tell these motherfuckers, don't fuck around in South Central
God damnit!
Rule number three: don't get caught up
Cause niggaz are doing anything that's thought up
And they got a vice
On everything from dope, to stolen merchandise
We discern
Cause South Central L.A., is one big yearn
Waitin for a brother like you to catch a disease
And start slangin ki's
To an undercover or the wrong brother
And they'll smother, a out of town motherfucker
So don't take your life for granted
Cause it's the craziest place on the planet
In L.A. heroes don't fly through the sky of stars
They live behind bars
So everybody's doin a little dirt
And it's the youngsters puttin in the most work
So be alert and stay calm
As you enter, the concrete Vietnam
You say, the strong survive
Shit, the strong even die, in South Central
Yeah you bitches, you think I forgot about your ass,
You tramp-ass hoes? You better watch out.
And for you so called baller-ass niggaz,
You know what time it is. South Central ain't no joke.
Got to keep your gat at all times motherfuckers.
Better keep one in the chamber and nine in the clip god damnit.
You'll sho' get got, just like that.
This ain't no joke motherfuckers.
Now I want to send a shout-out to E-Dog, the engineer,
Puttin his two cents in..
"This is Los Angeles."
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
I'm fairly sure this track was just made for the movie "Boyz N The Hood", but goddamn it's a good track. Real oldschool Cube.