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."
Come here, baby
You know you drive me up the wall
The way you make good for all the nasty tricks you pull
Seems like we're makin' up more than we're makin' love
And it always seems you got somethin' on your mind other than me
Girl, you got to change your crazy ways
You hear me?
Say you're leavin' on a seven thirty train
And that you're headin' out to Hollywood
Girl, you been givin' me that line so many times
It kinda gets like feelin' bad looks good, yeah
That kinda lovin' turns a man to a slave
That kinda lovin' sends a man right to his grave
I go crazy, crazy, baby, I go crazy
You turn it on then you're gone
Yeah, you drive me crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
What can I do, honey? I feel like the color blue
You're packin' up your stuff
And talkin' like it's tough
And tryin' to tell me that it's time to go, yeah
But I know you ain't wearin' nothin' underneath that over coat
And it's all a show, yeah
That kinda lovin' makes me wanna pull down the shade, yeah
That kinda lovin', yeah, now I'm never, never, never, never gonna be the same
I go crazy, crazy, baby, I go crazy
You turn it on then you're gone
Yeah, you drive me crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
What can I do, honey? I feel like the color blue
I'm losin' my mind girl, 'cause I'm goin' cra-
I need your love, honey, yeah
I need your love
Crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
I'm losin' my mind girl, 'cause I'm goin' crazy
Crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
You turn it on then you're gone
Yeah, you drive me
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
You know you drive me up the wall
The way you make good for all the nasty tricks you pull
Seems like we're makin' up more than we're makin' love
And it always seems you got somethin' on your mind other than me
Girl, you got to change your crazy ways
You hear me?
Say you're leavin' on a seven thirty train
And that you're headin' out to Hollywood
Girl, you been givin' me that line so many times
It kinda gets like feelin' bad looks good, yeah
That kinda lovin' turns a man to a slave
That kinda lovin' sends a man right to his grave
I go crazy, crazy, baby, I go crazy
You turn it on then you're gone
Yeah, you drive me crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
What can I do, honey? I feel like the color blue
You're packin' up your stuff
And talkin' like it's tough
And tryin' to tell me that it's time to go, yeah
But I know you ain't wearin' nothin' underneath that over coat
And it's all a show, yeah
That kinda lovin' makes me wanna pull down the shade, yeah
That kinda lovin', yeah, now I'm never, never, never, never gonna be the same
I go crazy, crazy, baby, I go crazy
You turn it on then you're gone
Yeah, you drive me crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
What can I do, honey? I feel like the color blue
I'm losin' my mind girl, 'cause I'm goin' cra-
I need your love, honey, yeah
I need your love
Crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
I'm losin' my mind girl, 'cause I'm goin' crazy
Crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby
You turn it on then you're gone
Yeah, you drive me
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
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."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
great song,describing the pain of a guy who's girl messes him about but he still loves her no matter what. Excellent guitar solo from Mr Perry, and check out 1 of the last lines where Steven goes so high pitched, it sounds like a high guitar note...in fact, i cant tell if it is or not!
Yeah, it's definitely him going REALLY high-pitched!
to me the song means: they love each other and he is willing to put up with her crazy love. he is use to it by now. She just has to get it out of her system and she will be back and then it start all over agian like a rollercoaster.
This is great song!! I think the meaning is pretty obvious. The guy is in love with a girl who's a lot of drama, and she plays games, but he's willing to deal with all her drama cause he's crazy about her, he loves her and he needs her. The lyrics tells the story. I love the harmonica in the background, excellent guitar, this song has a very nostalgic sound, it's awesome!! That part at the end of the song when Steven goes so high pitched you almost can't tell if is steven's voice or a high guitar note. I really like the begining of the song, when he talks before start singing. I think this song is a favourite for all of us Aerosmith lovers!!
turtonhof is patrialy right. It´s about t a love he couldn´t get back, about a crazy girl he fell in love with. It´s about some one that drives him completly crazy... all in all great song
I'm listening to it right now. I read the comment about how great the overcoat line is just as it got to that point! Spooky lol!
Anyway, this song is brilliant, and I love the solo. I love all the solos in all the songs though. I'm having an Aerosmith day today, just gonna sit here playing all their songs and singing along.
Haha I didn't like this song at first either & now it's one of faves from this band. streetsweeper, the "overcoat..." line simply means that she's faking like she's going to leave him, she's even dressed for the part ("...you're packing up your stuff...trying to tell me that its time to go...its all a show...")but he knows it's all gonna end the same way it does every time this goes on...they're gonna make up.
I believe that it's not the girl that is crazy but it's the fact that she's completely different from him that makes him go crazy and at the same time that makes him crazy about her. She messes up with his certainties, she changes him constantly (That kinda lovin', yeah, now I'm never, never, never gonna be the same). The fact that he accepts her as she is, that he thinks more about her then about himself and that he is willing to change is what I believe love is. He's not judging the girl, he is loving her as she is.
At least I wish it was like that :)
It's too bad that at the beginnig he says " Girl, you got to change your crazy ways" But love is a challenge
This is one of the most awesome songs by Aerosmith. I'm so lucky to have them as a favorite band. The lyrics in this are awesome, its more like a story than a song. Really awesome!
This is a really great song... one of my favourites by Aerosmith...
Turtonhot is right about the meaning of the song....
:)
the acoustic version of this song is incredible as well