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 things just aren't going your way
Like a problem hair you pluck or shave?
But shaving got to be such a bore
And you deserve so much more
And happiness is just a purchase away
[Chorus:]
Angelina it'll fix your hunchback
Angelina it'll help your time pass
Angelina here's a forcast
Angelina it's science we never laugh
Here's something that is automatic
It's wax ecstatic
When life is nothing less than tragic
It's wax ecstatic
When life has lost all it's magic
It's wax ecstatic
When life can't promise the fantastic
It's wax ecstatic
Throw all your troubles away
You'll nothing left that you want to save
With this circus you'll need nothing more
And all your troubles walk out the door
And it's all just a phone call away
[Chorus]
Like a problem hair you pluck or shave?
But shaving got to be such a bore
And you deserve so much more
And happiness is just a purchase away
[Chorus:]
Angelina it'll fix your hunchback
Angelina it'll help your time pass
Angelina here's a forcast
Angelina it's science we never laugh
Here's something that is automatic
It's wax ecstatic
When life is nothing less than tragic
It's wax ecstatic
When life has lost all it's magic
It's wax ecstatic
When life can't promise the fantastic
It's wax ecstatic
Throw all your troubles away
You'll nothing left that you want to save
With this circus you'll need nothing more
And all your troubles walk out the door
And it's all just a phone call away
[Chorus]
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina) Lyrics as written by Mark P Dombroski Joe Mazzola
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
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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,
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I perceive this song as being about someone who drowns their problems in drugs.
I don't think it needs to be that cliche. Hence the beginning verse about shaving.
This song is merely baout being able to purchase something to make your life better. Call it a slap in the face to consumerism then. Cuz you can always buy beauty products, drusg or whatever.. to make yourself better and happy.. in a mockingly rock and roll sort of way.
Alright, lemme take a crack at this - I admit that I'm using the video partially for interpretation, and that's not ever a good idea, because the writer of the lyrics is not necessarily the one that comes up with the concept for the video. Nevertheless, I'll take a shot.
Lines 1-5: Sometimes things aren't great, but working to make them better (like shaving or plucking that hair) is a pain, you deserve to just have your problems stop instantly, don't you? The answer is right here.
Lines 6-9: This will solve all your problems - we're not kidding.
Lines 10-17: I'm interpreting 'It's something that is automatic' as being the right number of syllables for the line with the right ending, but actually meaning 'it's something that offers instant gratification'. In that context, these lines reiterate that this is something that will take care of your problems instantly. You will wax ecstatic.
Lines 18-22: Quite simply, this product will get rid of all your troubles. This is where there's a bit of a judgment call for me. "A phone call away" sounds like a TV ad, like it's about mass marketing, and thus pharmaceuticals seem like the likely target of the song. However, you COULD be calling up your 'dealer'. Looking at the video, it's hard to decide which it is. But given the 'commercial' nature of the parts with Vinny displaying the bottle, and the fact that he looks more like an old-school medicine show guy on the street (with the special case, collecting money) rather than a typical 'dealer', I'm sticking with the 'pharmaceuticals' idea, and assuming that the 'sold on the street' bits were to link the idea of feel-better pharmaceuticals to drug dealers.
The video seemed to make that all pretty clear, with Angelina admiring the roller derby girls, but unable to skate at all, taking the drug, watching, excited, thinking she could do it, and then spitting out the drug as she's knocked down again and again. Seems to me like the symbolism there was of her realization that her drug-inspired dreams of skating were no substitute for the reality of it.
That's my 2 cents anyway - short version:
Yes, the song is about mind-affecting pharmaceuticals.
the music video is all about these pills being mass produced, so as cliche as it is, this song is probably about drugs.
I agree with savage, just a satire for the generalized greedy society
The pills in the video look like Lithium pills. I think it's a satire about the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industry. If anything is bothering you, we have a pill for that.
Lithium pills are either solid and round, or powder-filled capsules. The ones in the video are translucent gelatin ovals filled with yellow goo. How are they even remotely similar?<br /> <br /> Not to take away from your idea of the song's ultimate meaning - I agree with you about that part.
@dso lol
When the song first came out I thought it was about hard drug addiction, or diet pills (to be thinner to be a better skater, athlete, etc..) but then after thinking about it more and reading the previous comments, it could be about any type of pill someone takes to make oneself feel better or escape from everyday life.
"wax ecstatic's" possible allusion to the customary waxing of the incorrupt bodies of deceased catholic saints plays into the theme of nobody's perfect, so you might as well help things along with a product. the name "Angelina" is based on "angel." the mention of a hunchback calls to mind the tragic hunchback of notre dame, a kind, disfigured soul who watched over the dead bodies of his loved ones until they turned to dust. because even atmospheric changes in a corpse, such discoloration and shrinking of the skin, which are not considered frank decomposition, can hinder one's faith, the church satisfies each observant "hunchback" with the aid of a little cosmetic wax.
The slang definition to wax something is to "defeat decisively". With little or no hesitation. "We waxed the competition." If that helps to decode the song title.....
It’s not about Angelina Jolie lol