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."
[Intro - Beanie]
You know we hadda do a remix right?
Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!
All you Young Gunnerz!
Hey Just, this the one right here baby!
I told you dawg!
Its B Sig in the place with State P
and we got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
Still watch what you say to B. Sig
cause I still will knock your ass the fuck out
[Verse 1 - Beanie (Freeway)]
I bring the hood when I'm travelin
Scrap backwoods unravelin
Scrap smoke good when we travelin
Forget the Mac's cause the K's fit good in the Caravan
I clap up your hood like the hammer man
Bring your gat, better bust it if you get that close
Scared to clap better strap your folks (strap...your...folks)
Who want beef with State P...
Enemies try to speak to me
Negative they don't get that close
[Verse 2 - Freeway (Beanie)]
Its Free, listen
Blow trees with Mac Mittens
(No we didn't) Yes we did!
(Switch beginnings) Smith and Wesson precision
Bring the broads down with ribbons
(Leave a mess in your crib)
Not a brave nigga?
(Fuckin with some made niggas)
Hit him with the AK nigga
(Free no you didn't)
Yes I did
Overpayed shit? Wait a minute...
When this fakin, snatch the cake up out his crib
(Then slide, uh)
I'm like the baker with your pies
(Then rise)
Set up shop and distribute where you live
It's Freeway in the place with my squad
and we got what it takes to DUMP the K
FLIP your ride!
[Chrous 1 - Beanie]
Its B Sig in the place with State P
and I got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
Still watch what you say to Young Free
cause 50 shots still will turn the club out
[Chorus 2 - Freeway]
Its Freeway in the place with State P
and we got what it takes to the rock the mic right Yeah!
Still watch what you say to B Sig
cause we got what it takes to dump the D-E
[Chorus 3 - Nelly]
Its Nelly in the place with Murph Lee
and I got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
You better watch what you say around herre
cause theres somethin on my waste to make the whole place break
[Chorus 4 - Murphey Lee]
Its Murph dun in the place with Nelly
and I got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
You better watch what you say to my face
cause I got what it takes to shake the whole place
[Verse 3 - Murphey Lee]
See me eightteen entertainin em
Twenty-one when I'm clubbin it
Fake ID for the fuck of it
I'm just a school boy, somewhat new boy
If you can't get Nelly you'a settle for who boy?
Two toy carrier, two stashes
One truck that seats six asses
Swing through to refuse the masses
Move glasses and blow smoked up in my ashes
I used to drive my mama stuff
Now the school boy puttin twenty's on the bom bom(?) truck
I make rappers go back to the block
They be like "maybe I was better off selling rocks"
I'm Murphey Lee in the place to be punk
and I got enough skunk to fill the whole blunt
I take trips with chumps up in my trunk
and I take em real far to a safe place to dump
[Verse 4 - Nelly]
Down down, I'm witcha dirty go head and lay down
and ass a pin down, heard what I said now?
How I procede with caution
My whip crack fast all you niggas is horses
Randy Moss', I play when I wanna
Nut check, gut check, cause I say what I wanna
Around six in the six with the throwback
Sixers, number six Julius Irv'
Cris and the herb, make it hard to swirve
Throw your hands up; if you didn't bang your rim on the curb
You couldn't hit while you was makin a turn
I strike a nerve and old MC's wantin a comeback
I got repsect but it's lost and that's a fact
Like K - "Know" one here even said your name
R - You really feelin guilty bout somethin mayn
S - Sad to see you really just want just
One - more hit please please!
You the first old man who should get a rapper's pension
No we ain't system call this mic invention
Snitchin? Matter fact stay the fuck out the kitchen
Nelly cookin with too many dimensions
Mid west, and we aim about mid chest
Duked on my side, too many in my tribe
Coupe outside who the fuck want a ride?
[Chorus 3]
[Chorus 2]
[Outro - Freeway (to fade)]
All a y'all need to one yo self
Go get the burner nigga clap yo-self!
All a y'all need to one yo self
Go get the burner nigga clap yo-self!
Yeah! Its the, its the Roc nigga
Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!
And another one...
You know we hadda do a remix right?
Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!
All you Young Gunnerz!
Hey Just, this the one right here baby!
I told you dawg!
Its B Sig in the place with State P
and we got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
Still watch what you say to B. Sig
cause I still will knock your ass the fuck out
[Verse 1 - Beanie (Freeway)]
I bring the hood when I'm travelin
Scrap backwoods unravelin
Scrap smoke good when we travelin
Forget the Mac's cause the K's fit good in the Caravan
I clap up your hood like the hammer man
Bring your gat, better bust it if you get that close
Scared to clap better strap your folks (strap...your...folks)
Who want beef with State P...
Enemies try to speak to me
Negative they don't get that close
[Verse 2 - Freeway (Beanie)]
Its Free, listen
Blow trees with Mac Mittens
(No we didn't) Yes we did!
(Switch beginnings) Smith and Wesson precision
Bring the broads down with ribbons
(Leave a mess in your crib)
Not a brave nigga?
(Fuckin with some made niggas)
Hit him with the AK nigga
(Free no you didn't)
Yes I did
Overpayed shit? Wait a minute...
When this fakin, snatch the cake up out his crib
(Then slide, uh)
I'm like the baker with your pies
(Then rise)
Set up shop and distribute where you live
It's Freeway in the place with my squad
and we got what it takes to DUMP the K
FLIP your ride!
[Chrous 1 - Beanie]
Its B Sig in the place with State P
and I got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
Still watch what you say to Young Free
cause 50 shots still will turn the club out
[Chorus 2 - Freeway]
Its Freeway in the place with State P
and we got what it takes to the rock the mic right Yeah!
Still watch what you say to B Sig
cause we got what it takes to dump the D-E
[Chorus 3 - Nelly]
Its Nelly in the place with Murph Lee
and I got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
You better watch what you say around herre
cause theres somethin on my waste to make the whole place break
[Chorus 4 - Murphey Lee]
Its Murph dun in the place with Nelly
and I got what it takes to rock the mic right Yeah!
You better watch what you say to my face
cause I got what it takes to shake the whole place
[Verse 3 - Murphey Lee]
See me eightteen entertainin em
Twenty-one when I'm clubbin it
Fake ID for the fuck of it
I'm just a school boy, somewhat new boy
If you can't get Nelly you'a settle for who boy?
Two toy carrier, two stashes
One truck that seats six asses
Swing through to refuse the masses
Move glasses and blow smoked up in my ashes
I used to drive my mama stuff
Now the school boy puttin twenty's on the bom bom(?) truck
I make rappers go back to the block
They be like "maybe I was better off selling rocks"
I'm Murphey Lee in the place to be punk
and I got enough skunk to fill the whole blunt
I take trips with chumps up in my trunk
and I take em real far to a safe place to dump
[Verse 4 - Nelly]
Down down, I'm witcha dirty go head and lay down
and ass a pin down, heard what I said now?
How I procede with caution
My whip crack fast all you niggas is horses
Randy Moss', I play when I wanna
Nut check, gut check, cause I say what I wanna
Around six in the six with the throwback
Sixers, number six Julius Irv'
Cris and the herb, make it hard to swirve
Throw your hands up; if you didn't bang your rim on the curb
You couldn't hit while you was makin a turn
I strike a nerve and old MC's wantin a comeback
I got repsect but it's lost and that's a fact
Like K - "Know" one here even said your name
R - You really feelin guilty bout somethin mayn
S - Sad to see you really just want just
One - more hit please please!
You the first old man who should get a rapper's pension
No we ain't system call this mic invention
Snitchin? Matter fact stay the fuck out the kitchen
Nelly cookin with too many dimensions
Mid west, and we aim about mid chest
Duked on my side, too many in my tribe
Coupe outside who the fuck want a ride?
[Chorus 3]
[Chorus 2]
[Outro - Freeway (to fade)]
All a y'all need to one yo self
Go get the burner nigga clap yo-self!
All a y'all need to one yo self
Go get the burner nigga clap yo-self!
Yeah! Its the, its the Roc nigga
Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!
And another one...
Lyrics submitted by PSYCHO697186
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Mountain Song
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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.
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Another Love
Tom Odell
Tom Odell
I think the meaning is pretty clear. This person got really burned in a previous relationship, and because of this is unable to love and show care in his present one, even though he so badly wants to. It's lovely song, and very sad. You can really feel how defeated and frustrated he is with himself.
Zombie
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"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
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Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
Beans Rocs the Mic on this one