This weekend, the roads of Ocean City will be packed with hundreds of my favorite American made off-road vehicles… Jeeps! The fourth annual Ocean City Jeep Week brings plenty of events for Jeep enthusiasts, including a huge parade on Friday. When dreaming about driving a Jeep, I yearn to roam the countryside and go off-roading through beautiful mountainous forests. Before I get too depressed about what I could have done with my Jeep that I owned for only a year before a random college kid decided that stopping at a stop sign wasn’t that important, here are my six favorite songs that have the word “mountain” in them. 

 

By: Thrice

Off the album: The Alchemy Index Vol. IV: Earth (2008)

I’m sure you’ve realized by now based upon its multiple inclusions in my column that I absolutely friggin’ love this album. A concept album based on the four elements of the Earth – fire, water, air and earth – this volume is strictly acoustic and you can truly imagine yourself strolling through the countryside while listening. What’s most interesting about the making of this song is that its creation was almost entirely random. Bassist Eddie Breckenridge had his guitar tuned to the same key as in the song “Firebreather” from the first volume, and made up the lead part on the spot. After showing the part to vocalist Dustin Kensrue, the singer decided the lyrics he had originally written for an upcoming solo album fit the music so well, he just combined them into one song.

 

By: John Denver

Off the album: Rocky Mountain High (1972)

Simply put, this is the late John Denver’s love song to the state of Colorado. Unlike most bands’ use of the word “high” at the time that would reference a state of mind rather than a state of location, Denver’s use of the word was strictly an innocent way of describing the sense of tranquility when visiting the Rocky Mountains. However, the line still came into controversy when the FCC had power to ban songs with drug references. Several radio stations ignorantly took the song off their playlists until Denver publicly stated his true intentions of using the word. The song has since been a Colorado staple, and the state recognized “Rocky Mountain High” as its second official state song in 2007.

 

By: Jane’s Addiction

Off the album: Nothing’s Shocking (1988)

Included on the band’s first studio album, “Mountain Song” was the first song Jane’s Addiction wrote. In fact, it was written so early, the band didn’t even have a name when writing it. While this was the band’s first album, it technically wasn’t the first time the public was introduced to Jane’s Addiction. The band first recorded the song in 1986 to be included on the soundtrack of the film Dudes that was released the next year. Jane’s Addiction re-recorded the song for their studio album, so it’s interesting to listen to the original and hear how the song evolved. 

 

By: Joe Walsh

Off the album: The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get (1973)

First of all, yes; that’s actually the name of the album, and it’s awesome. Similarly inspired by the beautiful landscape of the Rocky Mountains as John Denver was just a year before, Joe Walsh got the idea for the song while mowing his lawn in Colorado. In the middle of his chore, he was awed by the landscape in front of him, and the lyrics to the song instantly came into his head. Not wanting to forget the words, he rushed into the house to jot them down on a piece of paper. Forgetting what he was doing initially, Walsh later had to pay his neighbors for their garden that was destroyed by a runaway lawnmower.  

 

By: Led Zeppelin

Off the album: Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

This song is interesting to me for the fact that the lead intro part to this song was performed by bassist John Paul Jones… playing a keyboard. As if the song wasn’t unique enough on that fact alone, the song is also known for the band’s harmonization of Jimmy Page’s guitar and Jones’ keyboard, meaning both instruments are playing the same notes at the same time.  While the lyrics reference an event when singer Robert Plant was arrested for loitering in Hyde Park, many believe they also reference J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The classic book has also been referenced in other Zeppelin songs, such as “No Quarter,” “Ramble On” and “The Battle of Evermore.” 

 

By: The Allman Brothers Band

Off the album: Eat a Peach (1972)

With a length of 33:41, this is a beast of a song, and in my opinion, the epitome of an Allman Brothers jam session. As there is not a single word spoken in the instrumental song, it is a testament of the musicianship of the entire band. Passages from two 60s songs, Donovan’s “There is a Mountain” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Third Stone from the Sun” can be heard during the song. Otherwise, the song is essentially a revolving door of solos from every band member. The song is so long, when it was originally released, it had to be split in two and put on two separate vinyl records.