This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
The early cars
Already are
Drawing deep breaths past my door
And last night's phrases
Sick with lack of basis
Are still writhing on my floor
And it doesn't seem fair
That your wicked words should work
In holding me down
And it doesn't seem right
To take information
Given at close range
For the gag
And the bind
And the ammunition round
Conversation once colored by esteem
Became dialogue as a diagram of a play for blood
Took a vacation, my palate got clean
Now I can taste your agenda
While you're spitting your cud
And it doesn't make sense
I should fall for the kingcraft
of a meritless crown
No, it doesn't seem right
To take information
Given at close range
For the gag
And the bind
And the ammunition round
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact I can't stop falling out
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact I can't stop falling out
I miss that stupid ache!
"What is this posture
I have to stare at?"
That's what he said when I was sittin' up straight!
Change the name of the game
'Cause he lost
He knew he was wrong but he knew it too late.
But I'm not being fair
'Cause I chose to listen to that filthy mouth
But I'd like to choose right,
Take all the things that I said that he stole,
Put 'em in a sack
Swing 'em over your shoulder
Turn on my heels
Step out of this sight
Try to live in a lovelier light
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact i cant stop falling out
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact i cant stop falling out
I miss that stupid ache...
Already are
Drawing deep breaths past my door
And last night's phrases
Sick with lack of basis
Are still writhing on my floor
And it doesn't seem fair
That your wicked words should work
In holding me down
And it doesn't seem right
To take information
Given at close range
For the gag
And the bind
And the ammunition round
Conversation once colored by esteem
Became dialogue as a diagram of a play for blood
Took a vacation, my palate got clean
Now I can taste your agenda
While you're spitting your cud
And it doesn't make sense
I should fall for the kingcraft
of a meritless crown
No, it doesn't seem right
To take information
Given at close range
For the gag
And the bind
And the ammunition round
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact I can't stop falling out
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact I can't stop falling out
I miss that stupid ache!
"What is this posture
I have to stare at?"
That's what he said when I was sittin' up straight!
Change the name of the game
'Cause he lost
He knew he was wrong but he knew it too late.
But I'm not being fair
'Cause I chose to listen to that filthy mouth
But I'd like to choose right,
Take all the things that I said that he stole,
Put 'em in a sack
Swing 'em over your shoulder
Turn on my heels
Step out of this sight
Try to live in a lovelier light
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact i cant stop falling out
This is not about love!
'Cause I am not in love
In fact i cant stop falling out
I miss that stupid ache...
Lyrics submitted by schmuun, edited by earTOtheGround
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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"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."
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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."
Conversation once colored by esteem Became dialogue as a diagram of a play for blood Took a vacation, my palate got clean Now I can taste your agenda While you're spittting your cud
And it doesn't make sense I should fall for the kingcraft of a meritless crown No, it doesn't seem right To take information Given at close range For the gag And the bind And the ammunition round
so amazing. she put into words something I was just beginning to figure out about a relationship of my own. some people are so shitty, they start putting you down about things that are so personal and sacred.. it can happen slowly, and you don't realize it. but then, when you get away from it for a minute, and your mind clears-- you see the things you didn't see while they were keeping you down. you realize how horrid they've actually been, and how horrid you've been for allowing it to happen in the first place.
and I think she's saying: it's not about love. it's about a recent relationship failure, the complications and pain that accompanied it, and how I can't seem to actually fall in or stay in love. and, I miss it..
LOL. "Stay in love." reminds me of fools who have a half dozen or more "relationships" a year and actually think they've ever experienced love. Love is honest. Love is kind. Love is lasting. Thankfully the fools are too ignorant or egotistical to realize that they have (and have had) NOTHING. And soon they'll have even less when they're too old to attract a dog like themselves. LOL. "stay in love." Love is when someone knows who they are sleeping with and that every whisper in their ear is all a game...a life...a fascade to keep from being lonely. LOL "Stay in love.' How many over the last decade? Are they all beautiful outside? Young? Wild? Slightly broken? And how many know you...ALL of you? How many have you shared your TRUE self? LOL. "stayed in love." Happy Holidazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzze as you live in your world of delusion and games that will always give you the same results: you get DUMPED for others who don't play games.
@ILUVU It's been 8 years and I'm just seeing your response to a comment I made on a Fiona Apple song when I was 20 years old. I may have been a bit less articulate than I am now. But, dude, what the fuck is wrong with you. You sound absolutely batshit crazy. Good luck with all that jazz
maybe it's "stupid ache"?
She's refering to herself with that comment, which I think is "ache". She's saying she misses falling in and being in love wholesale as she's got older and more jaded. The dizzy hieghts no longer come.
I agree with LoserNo1, she's angry at herself for believing him: "But I'm not being fair, cos I chose to listen to that filthy mouth." really, it's his fault for lying though, and he deserves her wrath. I'm so here right now. I do think when she's saying 'I am not in love' she's kind of trying to convince herself she isn't so it's easier to get over him, though.
actually, I think it's "I miss that stupid ape"
I thought that too
I just re-listened to this album and the meaning of number of these songs became much clearer to me. In fact it so obvious that I don't know how I missed it before.
This song is about the Media - specifically a Music/Concert Reviewer.
First Stanza: She waiting for the reviews to arrive from the previous nights show, expecting them to have 'basis' against 'last nights phrases.'
Second Stanza: Shes mad that the interviewer "took information, given at close range" using it as 'ammunition' against her, using their wicked words to hold her down.
Third Stanza: Reflecting that interviews used to be great and 'colored with esteem" how now devolved into a 'play for blood.' Which is accurate given her poor relationship with the media. Took a vacation (from music - which she did) to get the taste from her mouth (palate) but the dialogue has become a diagram for a play for blood. (All the reviewers looking to take advantage of her 'unstable' persona to get dirt for their story- which is the agenda she refers to.
Four Stanza: Refers to falling for the king'craft' (i.e. media) of a meritless crown (who are people who hold power over her but have no actual power over her personally.)
Finally frantic stanza: Describes an interaction with a reporter, complaining about her poor posture - trying to rile her up. Wishing she could just put the words from his filthy mouth and stick them in a sack over her shoulder, turn her heels, walk away from the sight and live in a lovlier light...
The "Not about love" chorus is still up for a little interpretation but I suspect shes been accused of loving the attention ... but she saying that she 'not in love' and she can't stopping hating it more every day (can't stop falling out (of love))
I miss that stupid ache ... refers to the ache of stardom - initally being loved and then hated as an artist. Something most of use will never experience.
Love you Fiona _ Hope you've found your happiness
i know what you mean! i cant stop listening to this song. i love it so much. but i think with like "stupid head", like she kind of uses the topic of words as a sort of motif or recurring theme, you know? like "last night's phrases, sick with lack of bases" or "cause i chose to live life with a filthy mouth" or when she talks bout conversations. so maybe saying "stupid head" is the only way she can express it. maybe its purposefully simple because its the best way to just get across her point. its simple which is why kids use it? or i dunno im speculating. id love to get inside her head. god, this cd is amazing. they need to release it.
oh, I meant to say "stupid ape"
Uh, it's "stupid ache"....stupid head? Give me a break...
I love this song because it's the perfect ranting revenge song for a man that treated her bad and now she's more angry at herself for trusting and believing this asshole than she trusted and believed herself.
And it doesn't seem right To take information Given at close range For the gag And the bind And the ammunition round
I love that line. I love the way she says, "It's not fair that you take the things I've shared with you and trusted you with and use them as weapons against me." That and the part about taking the things that she said that he stole are my favorite parts.