The life I've always wanted
I guess I'll never have
I'll be working for somebody else
Until I'm in my grave
I'll be dreaming of a live of ease
And mountains Oh mountains o' things

To have a big expensive car
Drag my furs on the ground
And have a maid that I can tell
To bring me anything
Everyone will look at me with envy and with greed
I'll revel in their attention
And mountains Oh mountains o' things

Sweet lazy life
Champagne and caviar
I hope you'll come and find me
Cause you know who we are
Those who deserve the best in life
And know what money's worth
And those whose sole misfortune
Was having mountains o' nothing at birth

Oh they tell me
There's still time to save my soul
They tell me
Renounce all
Renounce all those material things you gained by
Exploiting other human beings

Consume more than you need
This is the dream
Make you pauper
Or make you queen
I won't die lonely
I'll have it all prearranged
A grave that's deep and wide enough
For me and all my mountains o' things

Mostly I feel lonely
Good good people are
Good people are only
My stepping stones
It's gonna take all my mountains o' things
To surround me
Keep all my enemies away
Keep my sadness and loneliness at bay

I'll be dreaming, dreaming... Dreaming...


Lyrics submitted by Nelly

Mountains O' Things Lyrics as written by Tracy L Chapman

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Mountains O' Things song meanings
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4 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    Well, this is one great song about values. I think this song is talking about how the wanting of riches, and then the abundance of having it reduces one to it’s slave. There is the poor man, the less advantaged(Cause you know who we are , Those who deserve the best in life), who keeps working hoping that he would someday enjoy the outcome for all his hard work and finally live a good life, but as time goes by, he realizes, it’s just a dream.There is such a large gap between the poor class and the rich class. Then there is the rich man, who has more than he needs (Consume more than you need), but still isn’t happy, because money doesn’t give happiness. So from time to time he feels guilty, knowing his good life is mainly thanks to “poor” people’s sweat(Renounce all those material things you gained by Exploiting other human beings), their hard work. All his money doesn’t take away his sadness and lonliness(Mostly I feel lonely). And riches don’t last forever, because when we die we can’t take our wealth with us(I won't die lonely, i'll have it all prearranged, A grave that's deep and wide enough)...

    pr_llyon March 09, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    My favorite song by Tracy Chapman, sad it doesn't have more comments.

    RasinManon February 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One of my favorite songs by Tracy Chapman.

    phoenix18on March 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Such a clever song about the folly of materialism. The narrator is just a typical American striver whose dreams of greatness are more important than their values.\n\nIt\'s gonna take all my mountains o\' things\nTo surround me\nKeep all my enemies away\nKeep my sadness and loneliness at bay\n\nAin\'t gonna work

    david11715on April 12, 2022   Link

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