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."
I was on the moon when you were born
Taking one small step
And thinking it was a giant leap
December 1988
Cub scouts on a battle ship
It kept raining where I was standing
I think I have pictures of that day
Tucked away in books and shelved throughout my mind
And on that very same day
A baby blue boy brother is brought into this world
I think they have pictures of that day
On display in frames and albums of that kind
I was on the moon when you were born
At least I think I was
You see I can't remember 'cause
I think maybe I was in my room when you were born
Filling books with words 'cause I had nothing to say
Thirteen years after '88
I missed every baseball game
But you look so handsome at funerals
Or a lame holiday brunch
And I wanna see how beautiful you look to me
So I'll be home soon
I was on the moon when you were born
Trying to write for you, the perfect song
Thirteen years after '88
I'm writing in a different room
And still trying to balance freedom
And at the same time
Letting family know that I'm still alive
Taking one small step
And thinking it was a giant leap
December 1988
Cub scouts on a battle ship
It kept raining where I was standing
I think I have pictures of that day
Tucked away in books and shelved throughout my mind
And on that very same day
A baby blue boy brother is brought into this world
I think they have pictures of that day
On display in frames and albums of that kind
I was on the moon when you were born
At least I think I was
You see I can't remember 'cause
I think maybe I was in my room when you were born
Filling books with words 'cause I had nothing to say
Thirteen years after '88
I missed every baseball game
But you look so handsome at funerals
Or a lame holiday brunch
And I wanna see how beautiful you look to me
So I'll be home soon
I was on the moon when you were born
Trying to write for you, the perfect song
Thirteen years after '88
I'm writing in a different room
And still trying to balance freedom
And at the same time
Letting family know that I'm still alive
Lyrics submitted by fabulousj
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This is one of those songs that I heard for the first time on my way to work in the morning and couldn't get out of my head the rest of the day. This song is about the relationship between siblings that are spread out somewhat far in age, told by the older brother. When you're much older than your sibling, the relationship takes on a strange form--something between sibling and parent. You care about each other, but you're too different to have a normal sibling relationship (in this case, the older brother was on a cub scout trip when the younger brother was born--but he felt so far removed that he may as well have been on the moon). Then, as you both grow up, you try to live your own adult life, but you feel guilty for not being around for your younger sibling all the time. ("And still trying to balance freedom and at the same time letting family know that I'm still alive.") In the song, the guy misses all of his little brother's events, like baseball games, and at those times that he does see his brother (like at funerals and family get-togethers) he's reminded how much he cares about the kid. He tells his brother how beautiful he is, how he'll be home soon, and that he wants to write him the perfect song. Which by the way, he definitely did.
yeah i think you nailed it, i kinda think that maybe he was a teenager or something when his brother was born and he was going through that phase when he alienates himself from his family and kinda lives in his room or is out all the time and i think that he definately regrets it but thats a stage that most of us go through. this is an amazing song by the way