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."
Who took your measurements
From your toes to the top of your head
Yeah, you know
Who bought you clothes and new shoes
And wrote you a book you never read
Yeah, you know
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
On the far side of the morning
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
Now I hope you're listening, are you?
Who was it you called the good shepherd
Rounding up the kids for their meal
Who chased your shadow running out behind
Clinging to your high flying heels
Your high flying, high flying, high flying heels
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
On the far side of the morning, who was it
Yeah you know, we real cool
And I hope you're listening too
Who measured the distance from the planets
Right down to your big blue spinning world
And heartbeats and tears and nervous laughter
Spilling down all over you, girl
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
And the world keeps on turning
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
And I hope you're listening, are you?
Sirius is 8.6 light years away
Arcturus is 37
The past is the past and it's here to stay
Wikipedia is heaven
When you don't want to remember no more
On the far side of the morning
Who was it, yeah you know we real cool
And I hope you hear me, and you'll call
Yeah, we real cool
Yeah, we real, real cool
From your toes to the top of your head
Yeah, you know
Who bought you clothes and new shoes
And wrote you a book you never read
Yeah, you know
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
On the far side of the morning
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
Now I hope you're listening, are you?
Who was it you called the good shepherd
Rounding up the kids for their meal
Who chased your shadow running out behind
Clinging to your high flying heels
Your high flying, high flying, high flying heels
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
On the far side of the morning, who was it
Yeah you know, we real cool
And I hope you're listening too
Who measured the distance from the planets
Right down to your big blue spinning world
And heartbeats and tears and nervous laughter
Spilling down all over you, girl
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
And the world keeps on turning
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
And I hope you're listening, are you?
Sirius is 8.6 light years away
Arcturus is 37
The past is the past and it's here to stay
Wikipedia is heaven
When you don't want to remember no more
On the far side of the morning
Who was it, yeah you know we real cool
And I hope you hear me, and you'll call
Yeah, we real cool
Yeah, we real, real cool
Lyrics submitted by smallwonderrobot, edited by pankykapus
We Real Cool Lyrics as written by Warren Ellis Nicholas Cave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Mute Song Limited
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
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.
on one hand, who measure your height from the toes to the top of your head? a coffin maker. that's the first and very unambiguous association.
new cloths and shoes are also very often the part of the ritual. and a book you never read... there are plenty of post-mortem variants.
on the other hand there is a strong reference to the SUN!!!
"on the far side of the morning" is always SUN "who chase your shadow?" the light. and SUN by the very fact of casting your shadow, indeed is measuring you from the top of your head...
"who measured the distance to the planets?" THE LIGHT! it is so damn unambiguous!
what does it mean as a whole i have no idea.