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."
Well, I never really understood religions
Except it seems a good reason to kill
Everybody's got their own conceptions
And, you know, they always will
These days are needles under my skin
Jesus shooting heroin
If there are priests at your party
And you're playing cards that are numbered
And you got no reason to think it
Until your chances are uncovered
Tell me that I got to believe in
Jesus shooting heroin
The police in New York City
Chased a boy right through the park
In a case of mistaken identities
They put a bullet through his heart
I met Mary on the corner with the streetlights
She asked me if I'd come up to her room
I told her that I didn't have no money
She said she had to leave pretty soon
I decided that I would go in
Jesus shooting heroin
Except it seems a good reason to kill
Everybody's got their own conceptions
And, you know, they always will
These days are needles under my skin
Jesus shooting heroin
If there are priests at your party
And you're playing cards that are numbered
And you got no reason to think it
Until your chances are uncovered
Tell me that I got to believe in
Jesus shooting heroin
The police in New York City
Chased a boy right through the park
In a case of mistaken identities
They put a bullet through his heart
I met Mary on the corner with the streetlights
She asked me if I'd come up to her room
I told her that I didn't have no money
She said she had to leave pretty soon
I decided that I would go in
Jesus shooting heroin
Lyrics submitted by DuTcHoVeN
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Mountain Song
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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Punchline
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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.
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“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.
I always thought it was inspired by that Christian Death album cover with a picture of Jesus on the cross and a needle in his arm...
I always thought it was inspired by that Christian Death album cover with a picture of Jesus on the cross and a needle in his arm...
these days are needles under my skin - i'm going to assume the hero of this track isn't feeling so hot as of late tell me i got to believe in jesus shooting heroin - i think the dude is saying he needs a bad role model to justify/rationalize his current lifestyle choices.. perhaps he's not too pleased with himself
ahhh and then there's the whole Mary section. thats just fucking brilliant. sweet virgin mary.. the lovely whore who our hero cant resist.. and again with that perfect excuse.. what would his jesus do?
aliceinwonderland- im pretty sure he isnt calling the virgin mary a whore, but is referring to jesus most devoted female follower, mary Magdalene (who was known as a prostitute).<br /> <br />
i think this song is a play off of the christian idea of freedom and feeling good. christians in america present their religion as a way of being free and feeling good (much like heroin), but like heroin, u only appear to be free, ur really an addicted zombie and the substance controls ur life. u feel the need, much like ppl speak of contemporary christianity. so i agree, its a play off of "religion is the opiate of the masses." much like drugs, religions transform ur reality, and they make u weaker.
one of my favorite songs from the 80's...
I love this song.
I think it's about how and why the narrator doesn't believe in religion and how he thinks even Jesus would be shooting up in this world. Incredibly pessimistic, but so good.
an awesome song by an awesome band.
I agree with Cynothoglys, I think this song is saying some aspects of this world are bad enough to affect even the J man.
"even" jesus? i would say especially jesus, if he is as compassionate as reputed
Jesus Shooting Heroin is odviously irony cause hes not supposed to be a sinner and hes doing drugs so all those storys he say are like Jesus Shooting Heroin, or otherwords kind of inronic.
i can see where Cynothoglys is coming from with that, but i see it differently. having studied wayne's lyrics quite a bit (and under various influences ;) ) i think that the song title and the line "jesus shooting heroin" is just a play on the famous quote "religion is the opiate of the masses".
the first verses he states right away that he is impartial to religion and doesnt know much about it cept for war and such. i think all the messed up stuff that follows in the lyrics are all "eased" because of religion. ie...this shits really messed up here, better go to church and it will be ok...wont it?