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 mirror doesn't look like them I guess it never will
What would you say if I took a piece for me?
Happiness is your best friend it doesn't appeal to me
Have you ever seen me?
As I'm talking and lest you down
I find all you used to be
But you never talk your way
The universe is in your hands it doesn't appeal to me
What would they say if I took a piece for me?
Happiness is your best friend it doesn't appeal to me
Have you ever seen me?
As I'm talking and lest you down
I find all you used to be
But you never talk your way
The mirror doesn't look like them I guess it never will
What would you say if I took a piece for me?
Happiness is your best friend it doesn't appeal to me
Have you ever seen me?
What would you say if I took a piece for me?
Happiness is your best friend it doesn't appeal to me
Have you ever seen me?
As I'm talking and lest you down
I find all you used to be
But you never talk your way
The universe is in your hands it doesn't appeal to me
What would they say if I took a piece for me?
Happiness is your best friend it doesn't appeal to me
Have you ever seen me?
As I'm talking and lest you down
I find all you used to be
But you never talk your way
The mirror doesn't look like them I guess it never will
What would you say if I took a piece for me?
Happiness is your best friend it doesn't appeal to me
Have you ever seen me?
Lyrics submitted by oofus
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
the song is about DERON the lead singer and rhythem guitarist troubled times at school and your right it is inspired by the movie Carrie lyrically....Musically it is inspired by One of Deron's fav bands MY BLOODY VALENTINE the song SOMETIMES...great 2une
it's the movie carrie, i believe
i think the mirror could whatever you see in the reflection. the mirror doesnt look like them could mean i dont look like them. have you ever seen me is like have you ever seen the real me...the rest of the song is a little hard to figure out. but the movie carrie is also very possible to be what this song is about...
also the have you seen me part could mean have you noticed me
yeah i interpret it as nobody's perfect and cky just wanted to get the message out to all of us
When asked what his most personal song was, Deron said it was "To All of You." He said he used past experiences of his own to write it and that it was also inspired by Carrie.
I think this song is about being fake. Like when it says "the mirror doesn't look like them" I think that means the person they act like isn't who they really are.
this is wrong! but i just feel like saying it "the mirror doesn't look like them" i look in the mirror and i dont look like the cool ppl...anorexia.
yes ummm well i think this song is about he dosn't get noticed alot by cool ppl and he's depreased
I like the Little Video with this song in the end of CKY V. 1. Makes me happy. Its funny to watch old CKY videos and even the first cupple sesions of jackass now, how young all the hooolagans look....