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."
The light's still in our eyes
We're leaving this whole fairground behind
It's a dream that's going cold
The circus never dies
The act forever haunts these skies
I know we cannot stay
Farewell to the fairground
These rides aren't working anymore
Goodbye to this dead town
Until the ice begins to thaw
This place used to gleam
I see it in my hopeful dreams
Now I have to get away
We move towards the stars
And all that we touch becomes ours
Let's keep warm till it's day
Farewell to the fairground
These rides aren't working anymore
Goodbye to this dead town
Until the ice begins to thaw
We'll head south, just hold my hand now
I feel like I'm casting off my clothes
And I'm running through the snow towards the sunset
And I'm always with you
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Farewell to the fairground
These rides aren't working anymore
Goodbye to this dead town
Until the ice begins to thaw
We'll head south, just hold my hand now
I feel like I'm casting off my clothes
And I'm running through the snow towards the sunset
And I'm always with you
We're leaving this whole fairground behind
It's a dream that's going cold
The circus never dies
The act forever haunts these skies
I know we cannot stay
Farewell to the fairground
These rides aren't working anymore
Goodbye to this dead town
Until the ice begins to thaw
This place used to gleam
I see it in my hopeful dreams
Now I have to get away
We move towards the stars
And all that we touch becomes ours
Let's keep warm till it's day
Farewell to the fairground
These rides aren't working anymore
Goodbye to this dead town
Until the ice begins to thaw
We'll head south, just hold my hand now
I feel like I'm casting off my clothes
And I'm running through the snow towards the sunset
And I'm always with you
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Keep on running
Keep, keep on running
There's no place like home
There's no place like home
Farewell to the fairground
These rides aren't working anymore
Goodbye to this dead town
Until the ice begins to thaw
We'll head south, just hold my hand now
I feel like I'm casting off my clothes
And I'm running through the snow towards the sunset
And I'm always with you
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I have been living in the cold arctic for the last 2 years. I thought that getting away from my family and everything familiar would make me a happier man. God do I miss things. When I hear this song it's like the things I want to say. There is actually not place like home. And home doesn't neccesarily have to be the place where you sleep but your roots, your family, familiar faces and places, history.