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."
Keep rocking, and keep knocking
Whether you Louboutin it up or Reebokin'
You see the hate, that they're serving on a platter
So what we goin' have, dessert or disaster
I never thought I'd, be in love like this
When I look at you my mind goes on a trip
Then you came in, and knocked me on my face
Feels like in I'm in a race
But I already won first place
I never thought I'd fall for you as hard as I did
(As hard as I did, yeah)
You got me thinking bout our life our house and kids (yeah)
Every morning I look at you and smile
'Cause boy you came around and you knocked me down, knocked me down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
I never thought I'd
Hear myself say (ooh)
Y'all go ahead
I think I'm gonna kick it wit my girl today (kick it wit my girl today)
I used to be commander and chief
Of my pimp ship flying high (flying high)
'Til I met this pretty little missile that shot me out the sky (oh shot me out the sky)
Hey, now I'm crashing, don't know how it happened
But I know it feels so damn good
Said if I could back, and make it happen faster
Don't you know I would baby if I could
Miss independent (oh, to the fullest), the load never too much
She helping me pull it
She shot the bullet that ended that life
I swear to you the pimp in me just died tonight,
Girl sometimes love
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Tell me now can you make it past your caspers
So we can finally fly off into NASA
You was always the cheerleader of my dreams that
Seem to only date the head of football teams
And I was the class clown that, always kept you laughing
We, were never meant to be baby we just happen
So please, don't mess up the trick, hey young world I'm the new slick rick
They say I move too quick, but we can't let the moment pass us
Let the hourglass pass right into ashes
Let the wind blow the ash right before my glasses
So I wrote this love letter right before my classes
How could a goddess ask, someone that's only average
For advice
OMG, you listen to that bitch?
Whoa it's me
Baby this is tragic
'Cause we had it, we was magic
I was flying, now I'm crashing
This is bad, real bad, Michael Jackson
Now I'm mad, real mad, Joe Jackson
You should leave your boyfriend now, I'm a ask him
Say you gotta put the good with the bad, happy and the sad
So will u bring a better future than I had in the past
Oh 'cause, I don't wanna make the same mistakes I did
I don't wanna fall back on my face again
Whoa, whoa
I'll admit it, I was scared to answer love's call
Whoa, whoa
And if it hits better make it worth the fall
(When it comes around)
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Won't see it coming when it happens (hey)
But when it happens you're gonna feel it, let me tell you now
You see when love knocks you down
Won't see it coming when it happens
But when it happens you're gonna feel it, let me tell you now
You see when love knocks you down
Yeah
Whether you Louboutin it up or Reebokin'
You see the hate, that they're serving on a platter
So what we goin' have, dessert or disaster
I never thought I'd, be in love like this
When I look at you my mind goes on a trip
Then you came in, and knocked me on my face
Feels like in I'm in a race
But I already won first place
I never thought I'd fall for you as hard as I did
(As hard as I did, yeah)
You got me thinking bout our life our house and kids (yeah)
Every morning I look at you and smile
'Cause boy you came around and you knocked me down, knocked me down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
I never thought I'd
Hear myself say (ooh)
Y'all go ahead
I think I'm gonna kick it wit my girl today (kick it wit my girl today)
I used to be commander and chief
Of my pimp ship flying high (flying high)
'Til I met this pretty little missile that shot me out the sky (oh shot me out the sky)
Hey, now I'm crashing, don't know how it happened
But I know it feels so damn good
Said if I could back, and make it happen faster
Don't you know I would baby if I could
Miss independent (oh, to the fullest), the load never too much
She helping me pull it
She shot the bullet that ended that life
I swear to you the pimp in me just died tonight,
Girl sometimes love
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Tell me now can you make it past your caspers
So we can finally fly off into NASA
You was always the cheerleader of my dreams that
Seem to only date the head of football teams
And I was the class clown that, always kept you laughing
We, were never meant to be baby we just happen
So please, don't mess up the trick, hey young world I'm the new slick rick
They say I move too quick, but we can't let the moment pass us
Let the hourglass pass right into ashes
Let the wind blow the ash right before my glasses
So I wrote this love letter right before my classes
How could a goddess ask, someone that's only average
For advice
OMG, you listen to that bitch?
Whoa it's me
Baby this is tragic
'Cause we had it, we was magic
I was flying, now I'm crashing
This is bad, real bad, Michael Jackson
Now I'm mad, real mad, Joe Jackson
You should leave your boyfriend now, I'm a ask him
Say you gotta put the good with the bad, happy and the sad
So will u bring a better future than I had in the past
Oh 'cause, I don't wanna make the same mistakes I did
I don't wanna fall back on my face again
Whoa, whoa
I'll admit it, I was scared to answer love's call
Whoa, whoa
And if it hits better make it worth the fall
(When it comes around)
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Sometimes love comes around
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
Won't see it coming when it happens (hey)
But when it happens you're gonna feel it, let me tell you now
You see when love knocks you down
Won't see it coming when it happens
But when it happens you're gonna feel it, let me tell you now
You see when love knocks you down
Yeah
Lyrics submitted by djmxbi
Knock You Down Lyrics as written by Kanye West Floyd Hills
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
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.
like what everyone else already said, this song is talking about love and how it just happens you cant control it, as kanye said: ' we just happen'. such a beautiful thing. i think its saying how love changes the way you think and can change things in your life.
now i especiallly love kanyes verse "tell me when you make it past your caspers (aka your ghosts, fears), so we can fly off to NASA" and he continues on saying she was his dream cheerleader and he was the class clown, it wasnt meant to be it just happened, as in no one wouldve predicted them two together but it just happened that way... "how could a goddess ask someone thats only average for advice?" love changes how you think, as well as how you class people. a princess can fall for a nerd
such a prettttyyy song :) ....*