In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
woke up at eight, started a fire
had a few drinks, we all felt inspired
jumped in the stream, our shoes and canteens
the water is bitter cold
laid in the raft till it started moving
the current just sang, the song was so soothing
we stopped along the way
on a beach in the sun on a beautiful day
our boats collide, we feel the breeze
we stay afloat and make the most of everything
by noon we had swung the ropes in the woods
missed all dangers, snakes and the floods
burned by the rays and next to our legs, the water so bitter cold
lunch had been saved along with the lighters
wet cigarettes serve us as reminders
never trust a man with food, change of clothes, and a drink in his hand
our boats collide, we feel the breeze
we stay afloat and make the most of everything
the sun will set, the stars would shine
the trees would shake, we'd all feel fine
let's take the moon and make it shine for everyone
we'd laugh away the sunburn
as we laughed away his day
what we lost means nothing
for the memories will stay
caught the last bus, with no time to linger
driver seemed to be missing a finger
I turned and looked away to the bus, gravel road and a beautiful day
our boats collide, we feel the breeze
we stay afloat and make the most of everything
the sun will set, the stars would shine
the trees would shake, we'd all feel fine
let's take the moon and make it shine for everyone
let's take the moon and make it shine for everyone
had a few drinks, we all felt inspired
jumped in the stream, our shoes and canteens
the water is bitter cold
laid in the raft till it started moving
the current just sang, the song was so soothing
we stopped along the way
on a beach in the sun on a beautiful day
our boats collide, we feel the breeze
we stay afloat and make the most of everything
by noon we had swung the ropes in the woods
missed all dangers, snakes and the floods
burned by the rays and next to our legs, the water so bitter cold
lunch had been saved along with the lighters
wet cigarettes serve us as reminders
never trust a man with food, change of clothes, and a drink in his hand
our boats collide, we feel the breeze
we stay afloat and make the most of everything
the sun will set, the stars would shine
the trees would shake, we'd all feel fine
let's take the moon and make it shine for everyone
we'd laugh away the sunburn
as we laughed away his day
what we lost means nothing
for the memories will stay
caught the last bus, with no time to linger
driver seemed to be missing a finger
I turned and looked away to the bus, gravel road and a beautiful day
our boats collide, we feel the breeze
we stay afloat and make the most of everything
the sun will set, the stars would shine
the trees would shake, we'd all feel fine
let's take the moon and make it shine for everyone
let's take the moon and make it shine for everyone
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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."
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Jane's Addiction
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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."
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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.
on a wire is growing on me... i know i'll love it just cause i love guk and that's just the way it is, but it's def. different than what i expected... and while 'stay what you are' is good, and i do like it, 'through being cool' is my favorite