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."
Make me dance, I want to surrender
Your familiar arms, I remember
We've been going transcontinental
Got no car, we just take a rental
But we don't have the money
(Money makes the wheels and the world go round)
Forget about it, honey
Make me dance, I want to surrender
Your familiar arms, I remember
Everybody's talking about you
Every word's a whisper without you
But we don't have the money
(Money makes the wheels and the world go round)
Forget about it, honey
Trouble's never far away when you're around
'Cause we don't have the money
(Money makes the wheels and the world go round)
Forget about it, honey
I didn't see it coming
I'm just not in the running
Take me on a train 'cos I'm not flying
I can see the world from a different side
Read about us in the morning papers
When we make it
When we make it alive
I didn't see it coming (Make me dance I want to surrender)
I'm just not in the running (Make me dance I want to surrender)
And we don't need a lifetime (Make me dance I want to surrender)
We're following the right line (Make me dance I want to surrender)
And we don't need a lifetime (Make me dance I want to surrender)
We're following the right line (Make me dance I want to surrender)
I didn't see it coming (Make me dance I want to surrender)
I'm just not in the running (Make me dance I want to surrender)
And we don't need a lifetime (Make me dance I want to surrender)
We're following the right line (Make me dance I want to surrender)
Your familiar arms, I remember
We've been going transcontinental
Got no car, we just take a rental
But we don't have the money
(Money makes the wheels and the world go round)
Forget about it, honey
Make me dance, I want to surrender
Your familiar arms, I remember
Everybody's talking about you
Every word's a whisper without you
But we don't have the money
(Money makes the wheels and the world go round)
Forget about it, honey
Trouble's never far away when you're around
'Cause we don't have the money
(Money makes the wheels and the world go round)
Forget about it, honey
I didn't see it coming
I'm just not in the running
Take me on a train 'cos I'm not flying
I can see the world from a different side
Read about us in the morning papers
When we make it
When we make it alive
I didn't see it coming (Make me dance I want to surrender)
I'm just not in the running (Make me dance I want to surrender)
And we don't need a lifetime (Make me dance I want to surrender)
We're following the right line (Make me dance I want to surrender)
And we don't need a lifetime (Make me dance I want to surrender)
We're following the right line (Make me dance I want to surrender)
I didn't see it coming (Make me dance I want to surrender)
I'm just not in the running (Make me dance I want to surrender)
And we don't need a lifetime (Make me dance I want to surrender)
We're following the right line (Make me dance I want to surrender)
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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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
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 agree with Sebastian1, this song is about maturity.
When we are young we all want to go wild and surrender to our passions ("make me dance, I want to surrender"). Growing older we learn how the world is so full of constraints on those passions: no money, cheap rentals, budget train tickets. But with this recognition, we mature and we learn to count our blessings and make the most of what we have been given - we even embrace the odd situations life hands us (i.e. remembering "your familiar arms", "I can see the world from a different side", etc.).
In this way, maturity is really a form of humility about our limits as individuals. We understand ourselves as much about our constraints as about our passions.
Yet in the end, we still love the part of us that wants to let loose: "Make me dance, I want to surrender..."
Yes its about getting older , everything changes but still some facts could keep it trough the time.
I think that this song talks about maturity. It´s saying that he´s not flying anymore, about knowing the direction that you wanna take but in a real way of achieving it ( by train). Now he sees the world from a different side.
The lyrics include a 'make me dance, I want to surrender' refrain (repeated approx. eight times) at the end.
Beautiful song, about taking things slowly and enjoying life imho.
COLD CAVE REMIX SO GOOD