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."
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy
Some girl that knows the meaning of, ah-
Hey hit the highway!
Well I've been walking the streets in the evenin'
Racin' through the human jungle at night
I'm so confused, my mind is indifferent
Hey - I'm so weak, won't somebody shut off that light?
Electricity runs through the video
And I watch it from this hole I call home
And all them stonies are dancin' to the radio
And I got the world callin' me up free tonight on the phone
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl who'll thrill me and then go away
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-
Hey hit the highway!
Well I'm not wiped out by this poolroom life I'm livin'
I'm gonna quit this job, and go to school, and head back home
(head back home)
Now I'm not asking to be loved or be forgiven
Hey - I just can't face shakin' in this bedroom
One more night alone
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-
Hey hit the highway!
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl to thrill me and then go away
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-
Hey hit the highway!
You betcha'
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy
Some girl that knows the meaning of, ah-
Hey hit the highway!
Well I've been walking the streets in the evenin'
Racin' through the human jungle at night
I'm so confused, my mind is indifferent
Hey - I'm so weak, won't somebody shut off that light?
Electricity runs through the video
And I watch it from this hole I call home
And all them stonies are dancin' to the radio
And I got the world callin' me up free tonight on the phone
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl who'll thrill me and then go away
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-
Hey hit the highway!
Well I'm not wiped out by this poolroom life I'm livin'
I'm gonna quit this job, and go to school, and head back home
(head back home)
Now I'm not asking to be loved or be forgiven
Hey - I just can't face shakin' in this bedroom
One more night alone
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-
Hey hit the highway!
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl to thrill me and then go away
(I need a lover that won't drive me crazy)
Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-
Hey hit the highway!
You betcha'
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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.
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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
In Yr 11 I went out with this chick who went beserk when we broke up & succeeded in losing me most of my friends. What friends I did have left used to joke that this song was about me - I need a lover who won't drive me crazy.
The term "stonies" in the song is a term used in the Bloomington, Indiana area (where John Mellencamp is from and continues to reside) to refer to "local people" (as opposed to the college students of Indiana University in Bloomington). "Stonies" is short for "stone cutters", local workers who mine the limestone quarries. Sometimes they are also called "cutters".
@Dunestrider like in Breaking Away, right? Only they're called "Cutters" in that, I'm guessing both nicknames were used, one being affectionate (Stonies), one pejorative (Cutters)...love this song, the intro, of course, but always loved the lyric.
The musical intro is worth a listen by itself. Fantastic drum work anchors the all around tight musicianship during the two minute instrumental buildup.
The lyrics are simple, to the point and certainly inspired by a bad relationship. One of the greatest "kiss-off" songs of all time in my opinion. Nothing profound here, and perhaps a bit harsh in tone, but this song is musically inspired and thematically aggressive enough to demand repeat listens and a place in classic rock history.
Message is pretty clear on this one. Just a good guy looking for a good girl
@Dunestrider: That's something I would have never known had you not commented. I just made the obvious and less intelligent assumption he was referring to stoned people. Seriously, I love this site for this reason alone, all the random people who comment and expand knowledge about a song by explaining one simple word with some kind of local flavor to it. Makes me appreciate the simple yet solid songwriting in this one even more.
@lairfans12 Thanks! The only reason I know this myself (that "stonies" mean non-college locals) is because I used to live down there in the 70s (when this song was released). There are not that many limestone quarries in operation anymore, so I don't know if the locals are still referred to that way at the present time.