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."
She's just a girl, and she's on fire
Hotter than a fantasy, lonely like a highway
She's living in a world and it's on fire
Filled with catastrophe but she knows she can fly away
Ooh-oh, she got both feet on the ground
And she's burning it down
Ooh-oh, she got her head in the clouds
And she's not backing down
This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire
Looks like a girl but she's a flame
So bright, she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try but you'll never forget her name
She's on top of the world
Hottest of the hottest girls say
Ooh-oh, we got our feet on the ground
And we're burning it down
Ooh-oh, got our head in the clouds
And we're not coming down
This girl is on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire (ooh)
Everybody stares as she goes by
'Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes
Watch her as she's lighting up the night
Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl
And it's a lonely world
But she gon' let it burn, baby, burn, baby
This girl is on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh-oh
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh, ooh-oh
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh, oh
She's just a girl but she's on fire
Hotter than a fantasy, lonely like a highway
She's living in a world and it's on fire
Filled with catastrophe but she knows she can fly away
Ooh-oh, she got both feet on the ground
And she's burning it down
Ooh-oh, she got her head in the clouds
And she's not backing down
This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire
Looks like a girl but she's a flame
So bright, she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try but you'll never forget her name
She's on top of the world
Hottest of the hottest girls say
Ooh-oh, we got our feet on the ground
And we're burning it down
Ooh-oh, got our head in the clouds
And we're not coming down
This girl is on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire (ooh)
Everybody stares as she goes by
'Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes
Watch her as she's lighting up the night
Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl
And it's a lonely world
But she gon' let it burn, baby, burn, baby
This girl is on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire (fire, fire)
This girl is on fire
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh-oh
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh, ooh-oh
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh, ooh, oh
She's just a girl but she's on fire
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by Esethu 2009
Girl on Fire Lyrics as written by Jeffrey Bhasker Alicia Keys
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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.
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.
I think this is about female powers. When you look at the video, you can see a woman cleaning the household, caring for kids, cooking food, etc. without a man coming along to help. Most probably she is a single mother. So the song is about emancipation, about being able to do everything, even alone.
Any woman who has a single mother or has raised kid herself will know what I'm talking about. There is always so much to do, you feel like it's consuming yourself, like fire. And then, in the evening, when the kids are asleep, there are those quiet, lonely minutes, where you are totally broken up and just want to cry, feeling burned out. But your not, you will get up the other day and do it all over again, because the flame has not vanished in your eyes. A strong girl, strong woman, who will make it, even on her own. Love that song.
i think it's about girl power and how she is strong on the inside even if people let her down
zhiphopcleveland.com/3727375/read-alicia-keys-letter-to-you-on-the-meaning-of-girl-on-fire/
Answer from Alicia Keys herself
From Alicia Keys herself:
"Dear Fam,I’m so honored to share my fifth studio album, Girl On Fire, with all of you. WOW!!! What a journey!! Over the last two years, I’ve given my all to the songs and sounds that make up this album— I took myself out of my “comfort zone”, collaborated with artists across different genres, and took control of my life in a way I never had before. And with every step I took, you all inspired me to pour my heart into every beat, and my soul into every lyric.Girl On Fire is about new beginnings, new perspectives and fresh starts. It’s about finding your own inner strength and channeling it in a way you’ve never tried before. To be “on fire” is to allow yourself the freedom to take full control of who you are and how you want to live your life. To live your passion and shine your light unabashedly!! It’s that moment you choose to claim your power and be extraordinary!With this album, I hope to empower you in the way you have me… I hope to move you to be your own phenomenal self in life. Thank you for your tremendous support throughout my career and for being a part of my journey as an artist. I’m so proud to share Girl On Fire with you all. I can’t contain the flame!!!! Never contain yours!!!"
What I think is, you can always shine in this world, no matter how lonely you are, if you don't have support from family and friends, it's who YOU are, not who the others are.
"But she gon' let it burn, baby, burn, baby This girl is on fire"
This song is about a bladder infection. Or maybe gonorrhea. Does chlamydia burn?
Sounds like its about a ditzy party girl with her head in the clouds, burning up the night.
Damn. Even the guys gotta admit this song is the shit. Alicia Keys has it.
If I was a woman I’d be blasting this all day everyday and not give a damn what anyone thinks.
This song is fantastic ❤️???? amazing
Everytime I hear this song all I can think is, "WOW Alicia Keys is full of herself."
I kind of agree, and is it just me or is she just saying "this girl is on fire" over and over again with some slightly different wording? Don't get me wrong Alicia Keys has an amazing voice, but couldn't she come up with some creative lyrics?