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."
Please, mother mercy
Take me from this place
And the long-winded curses
I hear in my head
The words never listen
And teachers, oh they never learn
My warmth from the candle
Though I feel too cold to burn
He came from an island
Then he died from the street
And he hurt so bad like a soul breakin'
But he never said nothin' to me, yeah
A'say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, yeah
New like a baby, lost like a prayer
The sky was your playground
But the cold girl was your bed
Ooh, I said, poor Stargazer
She's got no tears in her eyes
But fool like a whisper
She knows that love heals all wounds with time
Now it seem like too much love is
Never enough, yeah, you better
Seek out another road 'cause this one has ended abrupt, oh
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, yeah
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, oh oh
(Heaven)
(Heaven)
(Heaven)
I, I never wanted
To write these words down for you
With the pages of phrases
Of things we'll never do
Yea, so I blow out, out the candle and I put you to bed
Since you can't say to me now
How the dog broke your bone
There's just one thing left to be said
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, yeah
Say hello to heaven, to heaven, yeah yeah oh oh
Take me from this place
And the long-winded curses
I hear in my head
The words never listen
And teachers, oh they never learn
My warmth from the candle
Though I feel too cold to burn
He came from an island
Then he died from the street
And he hurt so bad like a soul breakin'
But he never said nothin' to me, yeah
A'say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, yeah
New like a baby, lost like a prayer
The sky was your playground
But the cold girl was your bed
Ooh, I said, poor Stargazer
She's got no tears in her eyes
But fool like a whisper
She knows that love heals all wounds with time
Now it seem like too much love is
Never enough, yeah, you better
Seek out another road 'cause this one has ended abrupt, oh
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, yeah
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, oh oh
(Heaven)
(Heaven)
(Heaven)
I, I never wanted
To write these words down for you
With the pages of phrases
Of things we'll never do
Yea, so I blow out, out the candle and I put you to bed
Since you can't say to me now
How the dog broke your bone
There's just one thing left to be said
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven
Say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven, yeah
Say hello to heaven, to heaven, yeah yeah oh oh
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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.
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.
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.
I don't really listen to Soundgarden or Pearl Jam all that much, but Temple of the Dog was awesome, and this song especially shows how beautiful Cornell's voice is...amazing vocal performance!