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."
Golden brown, texture like sun
Lays me down, with my mind she runs
Throughout the night
No need to fight
Never a frown with golden brown
Every time just like the last
On her ship tied to the mast
To distant lands
Takes both my hands
Never a frown with golden brown
Golden brown, finer temptress
Through the ages she's heading west
From far away
Stays for a day
Never a frown with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Lays me down, with my mind she runs
Throughout the night
No need to fight
Never a frown with golden brown
Every time just like the last
On her ship tied to the mast
To distant lands
Takes both my hands
Never a frown with golden brown
Golden brown, finer temptress
Through the ages she's heading west
From far away
Stays for a day
Never a frown with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Lyrics submitted by mrfurious4, edited by notmuchtosay, mwillems, Kaiji
Golden Brown Lyrics as written by Dave Greenfield Brian Duffy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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In the 2001 book on the Stranglers, Hugh (who wrote the song) said "it works on two levels, it's about heroin and also about a girl", "both provided me with pleasurable times". As far as I know, it isn't specifically about "a prostitute" like someone else said. Hugh nailed it though and the parallels are perfect. Every verse can be about a girl or heroin,depending on what you want it to mean.
First: Give in with a smile and let it/her take away your mind/might for the night. No need to fight...
Second: Take you away "by both hands" to (metaphorical) distant lands with little regard for safety (tied to the mast = Odysseus).
Third: Over time it/she is moving on, moving forward,going away. West could mean either to "the new world" (in parallel with the ship travel) or along a trade route from the East, as herion is moved. There and gone in a day could also be either a fling you can't quite catch, or your stash.
Good freakin song. Strangely I always thought it was just about a girl. I started looking into its meaning shortly after my buddy who played it religiously died of an overdose. Felt like an idiot when I learned what I know now...
The analogy with the Odyssey is actually brilliant, there is another element to it.
Odysseus, when he is enchanted by the sirens, "frowns" to his shipmates (since they cannot hear him) so that they untie him and let him go with the sirens.
The singer here however, does not want to leave the ship. He is happy that he is tied with "her": "never a frown, golden brown"
@Mbarak That's actually a quite brilliant insight. Cheers.
@Mbarak Took me years to figure this out, definitely with you - I think it's more likely to be about a yacht or pleasure boat than anything else
did you guys hear that this song is about heroin. I think it's about heroin you guys.
@Kaguth I think it's about a yacht
@Kaguth or a lover??<br /> <br /> I guess that is the beauty of art ... each can interpret it how they wish
@Kaguth obviously
I was told to get this song by a friend, and I can't remember it being in Snatch, (Even though i'm constantly told it!) its a good song, and its most probably about Heroin .... Or taking a really nice relaxing poo.
This song is about heroine.
I was a heroin addict and this song is definatley about heroin.... not that me being an ex-addict makes me any wiser on the topic, its just that since doing heroin the song definatley relates....
"Tied to a mast heading west" This song is obviously about heroin
lots of people think this but i went to see the stranglers last week in manchester and met jj burnell the lead singer and he told me it was about toast......and last year i met the ex lead singer hugh cornwall and i asked him he said it was a about the drummers ex mistress golden brown as in she was coulered the band have never NEVER stated wat the song is about
I am going to see Hugh Cornwell (not Cornwall) this Friday at a pretty small venue and I'll see what he has to say this time. I've read interviews from the band stating it was about heroin, as well as about some tan girl. I wonder if he'll appreciate me telling him that I used to shoot up to this song....Probably not.
@Ciar án any particular heroine in particular?? A fictional heroine like Wonder Woman or a real life heroine??
this a just a great song, one my fav since i can remember,
i can see where you come from about it being about heroin, but for me i see it being more about golden syrup! lol
Quote Directly From Wikipedia
"Its about Heroin, but its also about a girl"
Now will everyone shut the hell up about this?
@Nicman the whole point is what does the song mean to you?? If sailing a yacht gives you pleasures, then the song is about sailing. If a lover gives you that pleasure then it is about a lover. If heroin is your choice, then it is about that.<br /> <br /> That is the beauty of art ... each can interpret it how they want too.
@Nicman No! They won't....
I think the line is "With my mind, she runs" Also, this song is supposed to be simultaneously about heroin and a beautiful woman. It's about the temptation of both. And the experience of both.
It´s sure about heroine and "golden brown" golden for this shining perfect rar & expensive feeling you have for a while and brown its the heroine. Brown could be a lot but most dirt cause of that the "GOLDEN" brown. Then "lays me down, with my mind she runs takes both my hands.... no need to fight...with golden brown" He talkes abot the goldenbrown feeling like about a person, a woman who cares, takes his hands and makes that all becomes good, no need to fight, like a protector for every situation... But sure he also sings about it´s not a permanent mood, metaphoric he sings about her as his loer who is normally far away and sometimes comes for visits on her ship (means he can find protection and "luck for a little time" in her place-her ship) and that he knows her ( the heroine since years they are friends, "stays for a day" like a relationsh. since long time with the rule of meeting only one day ( heroine works till you fall assleep and wake up if you are addicted) - its such a different and bad feeling that he sings ( ..."fom far away") but it seems for me like he doesnt want to give up taking heroine, he sings about it as a person he can go/escape to whenever he wants and that he likes or at least its okay for him-never a frown- its clear as long as he takes it hes happy or whenever he is sad or angry he has "her,it, his goldenbrown". For me it sometimes sounds like a lovesong for this feeling, for heroine, and if you listen to the melody, you´ll notice thats a waltz and this is very rar... And its the typical dance for a couple- he and heroine
no duh. i just downloaded it because Snatch is a fuckin great movie.