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."
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
And your ghost
We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Wait for the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves
But I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
Said I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd take you where nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
Said nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
And I could take another hit for you
And I could take away your trips from you
And I could take away the salt from your eyes
And take away the spitting salt in you
And I could give you my apologies
By handing over all the olive trees
And I could take away the shaking knees
And I could give you all the olive trees
Oh look at the trees and look at my face and look at a place far away from here
So give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
And your ghost
We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Wait for the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves
But I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd take you where nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn either way
About your blood
Your bones
Your voice
And your ghost
Because nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn either way
And now I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
Because nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn either way
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
And your ghost
We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Wait for the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves
But I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
Said I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd take you where nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
Said nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
And I could take another hit for you
And I could take away your trips from you
And I could take away the salt from your eyes
And take away the spitting salt in you
And I could give you my apologies
By handing over all the olive trees
And I could take away the shaking knees
And I could give you all the olive trees
Oh look at the trees and look at my face and look at a place far away from here
So give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
And your ghost
We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Wait for the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves
But I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the wire
I'd take you where nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn either way
About your blood
Your bones
Your voice
And your ghost
Because nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn either way
And now I'll believe in anything
And you'll believe in anything
Because nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn either way
Lyrics submitted by FuneralCatering, edited by peskydane
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
There's something about people who post on this site that really bugs me, and the posts for this song highlight it. People need to realise that NOT EVERY SONG IS A LOVE SONG! If you want a song about a lover dying, go and listen to 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark' 100 times over. Spencer never writes songs about somethign so obvious and simple, let alone boring.
I think I've had a massive moment of enlightenment in regards to this song. I don't mind if you don't agree with me, but to me lyrics like this are similar to poetry.
Think about the stages of grieving when losing aloved one or a dear friend, or even someone dying themselves. especially in relation to the second half of the song. 'If I could take the fire out from the wire I'd share a life and you'd share a life' to me sounds like bargaining, but taking fire out from a wire, whatever that means, sounds like something impossible, no one can 'share a life' but he'd do anything to save them.
Then you definately have depression:
I said nobody knows you And nobody gives a damn either way About your blood, your bones Your voice, and your ghost
And the end to me could perhaps be acceptance, not too sure on that though though if it is 'anyway' rather than 'either way' then it seems like the person cares less about no one 'giving a damn'
'And I could take another hit for you And I could take away your trips from you' etc.
Going backwards I know, but this verse could perhaps be anger, about people not doing as much as they could. OR (sorry for the random rambling) the whole verse could be about what 'God' could be offering someone, the place far away from here being heaven.
Whatever the case, this is completely death related. I had this down as a love song first few listens, but now I just don't see it.