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."
Everybody
Listen to me
And return me, my ship
I'm your captain, I'm your captain
Though I'm feeling mighty sick
I've been lost now
Days uncounted
And it's months since
I've seen home
Can you hear me, can you hear me
Or am I all alone?
If you return me
To my home port
I will kiss you
Mother earth
Take me back now, take me back now
To the port, of my birth
Am I in my cabin dreaming
Or are you really scheming
To take my ship away from me
You'd better think about it
I just can't live without it
So please don't take my ship from me
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I can feel the hand of a stranger
And it tightening around my throat
Heaven help me, heaven help me,
Take this stranger, from my boat
I'm your captain, I'm your captain
Though I'm feeling mighty sick
Everybody, listen to me
And return me, my ship
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
Listen to me
And return me, my ship
I'm your captain, I'm your captain
Though I'm feeling mighty sick
I've been lost now
Days uncounted
And it's months since
I've seen home
Can you hear me, can you hear me
Or am I all alone?
If you return me
To my home port
I will kiss you
Mother earth
Take me back now, take me back now
To the port, of my birth
Am I in my cabin dreaming
Or are you really scheming
To take my ship away from me
You'd better think about it
I just can't live without it
So please don't take my ship from me
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I can feel the hand of a stranger
And it tightening around my throat
Heaven help me, heaven help me,
Take this stranger, from my boat
I'm your captain, I'm your captain
Though I'm feeling mighty sick
Everybody, listen to me
And return me, my ship
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
I'm Your Captain Lyrics as written by Mark Farner
Lyrics © CONEXION MEDIA GROUP, INC.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
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Wu-Tang Clan
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Good ideas so far, but this song is actually about the fear of being drafted to fight in Vietnam. It came out in 1970 when the conflict was still raging. The ship can be thought of as the soldier's freedom or his life. He doesn't want that life to be taken away by a "stranger." That's all I have to say about the song's meaning. This song really rocks, it's one of the best classic rock songs ever, right up there with Stairway, Comfortably Numb, Hotel California, Hey Jude, etc
Reality slips away weather it be drugs or the draft. We always want to return to the sober side of life the innocence we have as a child. Remember the first time you relized that life is not as much fun as you thought it was going to be. Feel in what you want to just return me, my ship.
Since the song was written by Larry Carlton, it refers to the USS Pueblo incident of 1968 in Korea. The ship was boarded and captured by North Korean forces on 23 January 1968, in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis or the Pueblo affair. The capture, less than a week after President Lyndon B. Johnson's State of the Union Address and only a week before the start of the Tet Offensive, and subsequent 11-month prisoner drama were major incidents in the Cold War.
North Korea stated that Pueblo strayed into their territorial waters, but the United States maintains that the vessel was in international waters at the time of the incident.
Pueblo, still held by North Korea today, officially remains a commissioned vessel of the United States Navy.[2] It was moored along the Taedong River in Pyongyang, and used there as a museum ship. Pueblo is the only ship of the U.S. Navy currently being held captive.
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@klwright this song is written by Mark Farner and is registered at BMI as such
I don't know but I have wondered for years if if is based on any real event (e.g. Mutiny on the Bounty) or symbolism for something else.
Drugs? I dont think it is about that... I just think it is a catchy chord progression mixed with a classic story of an old sea captain and his love for his ship. I dont see how the ship could represent drugs. I'm Getting Closer to my Home? How is that drugs?
This verse is the giveaway.
"I'm your captain, I'm your captain, Although I'm feeling mighty sick. Everybody, listen to me, And return me, my ship. "
Hes like, comparing himself to a ship, I think.
It starts out with something like Acid. When you drop that first hit, you feel lost. Unable to cope or understand the plethora of new emotions presented to you.
It moves on to a bad trip. Maybe something violent, like coke or heroin ? "I can feel the hand, of a stranger, And it's tightening, around my throat."
The last three verses are the peak and the comedown, eventually it just fades away.
Or hey, I could be wrong, the whole thing just seems like a euphemism for a trip to me,I guess.
You obviously have never used heroin; that's not a bad thing.A heroin high is anything but violent. It makes you feel warm, fuzzy and loveable, that's why people get hooked on it after about 2-3 months of everyday use. It's when your in withdrawl that you feel like crap and wish you were dead.<br /> If you've never done it, DON'T!
I always thought it was about drugs. The ship being the drug that keeps him afloat:
"You'd better think about it, I just can't live without it. So, please don't take my ship from me"
-I take that as some type of intervention to try to get the person off of drugs.
"I'm your captain, I'm your captain, Although I'm feeling mighty sick. Everybody, listen to me, And return me, my ship."
-The intervention works so he tries cold tuckey but withdrawal makes him sick and he feels like he is drowing so he wants his drugs/"ship" back.
"I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah"
-He relapses and goes on a massive binge.
"I'm getting closer to my home (to fade)"
-Either he is OD'ing and dying, or he feels at home tripping.
That's just my take.
It sounds like the lyrics could be about someone who is trying to get off of drugs, and return "home", or out of the life of addiction.
Cool wait GREAT Song it is definetly signature Grand Funk its great my fav song of GFR
Anybody else at least get the idea that this was alluding to Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!"?