Mountain Song

Album: Nothing's Shocking (1988)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The message of the song is that everyone views things differently and is entitled to their own opinion.
  • Despite the title, there are only two uses of the word "mountain" in this song: the opening lyric "Coming down the mountain," and in the second verse, which starts, "I was coming down the mountain."
  • The liner notes for the 1997 Addiction compilation album Kettle Whistle include extra lines in the "Mountain Song" lyrics:

    Well I, spoke to the mountain,
    I listened to the sea,
    they both told me that the fountain,
    was the best that you could be


    The lines were removed from "Mountain Song" and instead used for "Had A Dad."

Comments: 4

  • Jane from The MountainIt's about coming off of H.
  • Robin from FloridaThe song is about Perry Farrell’s mother’s suicide. Cash in, Miss Smith is referring to her, Smith was her maiden name.
  • Dan from New York, NyActually, the word "mountain" is repeated in the second verse... "I was coming down the mountain, I met a child man she had pin eyes..." -thanks, Dan
  • Willie from Scottsdale, Az"pin eyes" is stoner slang for very small pupils, often encountered during heroin use when the eyes try and limit the light let into the brain. Also, going up and coming down "the mountain" is user slang for getting on a binge, and coming off one. The word is actually used twice in the song, not just in the opening line.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

90s Metal

90s MetalFact or Fiction

Test your metal - Priest, Maiden, and Beavis and Butt-head show up in this one.

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up Musicians

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up MusiciansSong Writing

Eddie (played by Johnny Depp in the video) found fame fleeting, but Chuck Berry's made-up musician fared better.

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.