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."
Here's a thought for every man
Who tries to understand what is in his hands
(What's in his hands)
He walks along the open road of love and life
Surviving if he can
(Surviving if he can)
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
Chained to all the places that he never wished to stay
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow
As they took his soul they stole his pride (pride)x3
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow
Here's a thought for every man
Who tries to understand what is in his hands
(What's in his hands)
He walks along the open road of love and life
Surviving if he can
(But only if he can)
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
Chained to all the places that he never wished to stay
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow
As they took his soul they stole his pride (pride)x4
As he faced the sun he cast no shadowx4
Who tries to understand what is in his hands
(What's in his hands)
He walks along the open road of love and life
Surviving if he can
(Surviving if he can)
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
Chained to all the places that he never wished to stay
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow
As they took his soul they stole his pride (pride)x3
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow
Here's a thought for every man
Who tries to understand what is in his hands
(What's in his hands)
He walks along the open road of love and life
Surviving if he can
(But only if he can)
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
Chained to all the places that he never wished to stay
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow
As they took his soul they stole his pride (pride)x4
As he faced the sun he cast no shadowx4
Lyrics submitted by dsfire
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"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
-
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.
Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.
"Richard (Ashcroft) wasn´t very happy for a while so I wrote it for him and about three weeks later he quit the band. It´s about songwriters in general who are desperately trying to say something. I´d like to be able to write really meaningful lyrics but I always end up talking about drugs or sex. But people like Richard and Paul Weller will look after me. `Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say´ - That´s me. I´m not Morrissey. I´m not Bob Dylan. I´m not Brett Anderson. They are better lyricists than I´ll ever be." ~ Noel Gallagher
@TheRightEarOfNash thanks for the quote. Source?
t think this song could be about fear of failure and never fulfilling life
i think it is about someone who isnt living life the way that they want to. they are unnoticed and unappreciated. 'casting no shadow' is being there but not doing anything .love the backing vocals.
@brick11 perhaps with the line of "take his soul" it could be implying that he is living the life that others wanted for him??
I'm glad that this song isn't about what I thought it was about. The lyrics always seemed to me to be about someone's suicide - him casting no shadow because he was lying down dead. I feel a little bit better knowing it was about songwriting.
Apparently Noel wrote this about Richard Ashcroft originally, but I'm sure that he can relate to it as well. I love the background vocals, they really add a lot to the beautiful melody and vocals
I'm sure it's written about himself. Noel seems to only be able to express himself through music and his lyrics. He wrote this song on the same day as Wonderwall, I think, which contains the line "There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don't know how".
About how people or someone can take away someones self esteem.Think about it.
For me this song is beautiful. I belive it to be about a person bound down by society and its harsh reailty. How todays scoiety can take the dignity and integrity of a person. Hence the chorus 'cast no shadow' as if he has no soul left. Well thats my interpretation.
@Idiotech I tend to like this interpretation. "took his soul" could be interpreted as living the life others wanted for him ... walking a path chosen by others.
And Liam always changes the lyrics when he sings it, at least in the two concerts I've been two and then ten I have on CD. He always sings, "When you take my soul, don't take my pride." A little personal meaning, I suppose.
To me... the song sounds like it's about someone who is dead... but they think they're still alive. The part, "as i face the sun i cast no shadow", because ghosts don't cast shadows. Proabably completly wrong, but my idea!!!!!!