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."
She put $900 on the fifth horse in the sixth race
I think its name is "chips ahoy!"
It came in six lengths ahead, we spent the whole next week getting high
At first I thought that she hit off some tip that she got from some other boy
We were overjoyed
Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh
Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh
I got a girl and she don't have to work
She can tell which horse is gonna finish in first
Some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse
Came in six lengths ahead
We spent the whole next week getting high
I love this girl but I can't tell when she's having a good time
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
She's hard on the heart and she's soft to the touch
She gets migraine headaches when she does it too much
She always does it too much
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
And you won't even dance
I think its name is "chips ahoy!"
It came in six lengths ahead, we spent the whole next week getting high
At first I thought that she hit off some tip that she got from some other boy
We were overjoyed
Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh
Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh
Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh
I got a girl and she don't have to work
She can tell which horse is gonna finish in first
Some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse
Came in six lengths ahead
We spent the whole next week getting high
I love this girl but I can't tell when she's having a good time
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
She's hard on the heart and she's soft to the touch
She gets migraine headaches when she does it too much
She always does it too much
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't let me touch you?
(Wo-ah-oh-ee-ah-oh-ee-oh)
How am I supposed to know that you're high if you won't even dance?
(Wo-ah-oh-a-ee-oh-oh)
And you won't even dance
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I think its about a guy who finds a girl with an unending supply of money and drugs (obtained illegally, except he doesn't know exactly how.) Like a Chips Ahoy cookie, she has more 'chocolate chips' than anyone he's ever met. At first he thinks she is complete, but soon he finds out thats true only in the materialistic sense. Shes spiritually empty (unfulfilled, won't let him get close to her emotionally etc). Essentially its about someone realizing that money makes life easier but it doesn't make you happy. Kind of like how cookies are delicious(!) but if thats all you ever eat, you'll never be fulfilled.
I don't know what kind of unfulfilling cookies you been eating.
According to the live CD, this song is about a guy who is with a girl who can predict which horse is going to win every race and you'd think that would solve all his problems, but it doesn't. I still don't fully understand the chorus though.
@Alejo Oh no, that would only multiply your problems. Nothing can make this being happy - she will chase the empty happiness until she can't anymore.
I agree with elstongunnn on here (except all the cookie analogies). She uses painkillers but they make it worse. She has all this money that buys her a materialistic high, but she never gets the paralell high (enjoyment-which is what high implies). She makes him want her with her looks, money, and sex. However, she never feels fulfilled with her. they both are not getting what they think they are getting.
thanks for woahohaeeohoh
anyways, this song is amazing.
this song to me is about not understandig girls hence the chorus---but i could be wrong...doesn't really matter anyway becasue thats what i think when i listen to it..
This song always gets me super hyperactive, i really love the chorus, great to sing along to while drunk, really
This song was pretty immense at glasto :)
According to the live CD, this song is about a guy who is with a girl who can predict which horse is going to win every race and you'd think that would solve all his problems, but it doesn't. I still don't fully understand the chorus though.
totally about holly.
I don't think it is. Seperation Sunday revolved mostly around Craig and Holly. She's mentioned in Boys & Girls but she isn't the focal point. In fact I think she was in the hospital for most of this timeline. (As said in First Night) I'm not sure that the song is even about Craig and some other girl, it might be two entirely different people whose stories Craig is telling. (Much like Chillout Tent)