Mystery Mountain
Journey Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mountain of mystery,
Rising high above the clouds.
Mountain of magic,
Standing tall and proud,
Your magical veins
Flowing silver and gold,
Your cumulus cloud glows misty red,
As Apollo sets beyond your head.
Releasing the pressure built over the years
The mountain is crying hot lava tears
Molten rock created under vibrations of
Subterranean thunder
Ejecting boulders like pieces of sand
The mountain is
Giving birth to the land.

Under your feet you feel a rumble
As thousands of rocks are starting to tumble
Above the trees where the buzzard flies
Swirling vapors begin to rise




Beneath those misty peaks you hide
A tremendous force boiling deep inside.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Journey's song Mystery Mountain illustrate the awe-inspiring power of nature, particularly that of a towering mountain that appears to be imbued with magical properties. The opening lines describe the mountain as mysterious and magical, towering above the clouds with its veins flowing with precious metals like silver and gold. The imagery of a cumulus cloud glowing misty red at sunset adds to the mystical quality of the mountain.


Soon, however, the song takes a darker turn, as the mountain's power is revealed in the form of an eruption. The lyrics describe the subterranean thunder and vibrations that lead to the creation of molten rock, which eventually spews forth as hot lava tears. The mountain is personified as giving birth to the land, ejecting boulders like pieces of sand in a violent display of natural power.


The final lines of the song suggest that this power lurks beneath the surface of the mountain, hidden by misty peaks. The idea of a tremendous force boiling deep inside creates a sense of danger and unpredictability, reminding us of the sheer magnitude and potential destructiveness of the natural world.


Line by Line Meaning

Mountain of mystery,
The mountain is an enigma that is yet to be uncovered.


Rising high above the clouds.
The mountain is scaling new heights beyond the reach of clouds.


Mountain of magic,
The mountain is a spiritual entity that holds many secrets.


Standing tall and proud,
The mountain's imposing structure reflects its confidence and self-assurance.


Your magical veins
The mountain's veins are a source of magic and wonder.


Flowing silver and gold,
The mountain's veins run with precious metals like silver and gold.


Your cumulus cloud glows misty red,
The mountain's cloud has a mystical aura that's tinged with a shade of red.


As Apollo sets beyond your head.
The God of the Sun, Apollo, is setting beyond the mountain's horizon.


Releasing the pressure built over the years
The mountain is unleashing the pressure that has built in it for years.


The mountain is crying hot lava tears
The mountain is spewing out hot molten lava that looks like tears.


Molten rock created under vibrations of Subterranean thunder
The mountain's molten rock is formed due to the vibrations caused by underground thunder.


Ejecting boulders like pieces of sand
The mountain is throwing out giant boulders like they were tiny grains of sand.


The mountain is Giving birth to the land.
The mountain's volcanic eruptions are creating new land that's fertile and rich.


Under your feet you feel a rumble
The ground beneath you is shaking due to the mountain's activity.


As thousands of rocks are starting to tumble
Thousands of rocks are rolling down the mountain's slopes.


Above the trees where the buzzard flies
The buzzard is soaring high over the mountain's treetops.


Swirling vapors begin to rise
The mountain is generating swirling clouds of vapors that are rising upwards.


Beneath those misty peaks you hide
The mountain's secrets are hidden beneath its misty peaks.


A tremendous force boiling deep inside.
A powerful force is simmering deep inside the mountain, waiting to be unleashed.




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: DIANE T VALORY, GEORGE TYNDALL TICKNER, GREGG ROLIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Thelonious Coltrane

@Rocky B I hear you brother...
Grew up listening to Journey's
first three albums:
Journey (1975)
Look into the Future (1976)
Next (1977)
I stopped listening when they
went "pop-oriented" with
Steve Perry. (The Perry years,
however, made them millionaires.
I guess the musical taste of fans
were geared towards "pop" songs).
The only Journey album with Perry
on it that I forced myself to listen to
was Escape (1981).
And, when they chose Arnel Pineda
many years later, I totally stopped listening.
These days, I only go back to Journey's
first three albums.
To each his own, of course.
#peace



Annie Cantú

Mountain of mystery,
Rising high above the clouds.
Mountain of magic,
Standing tall and proud,
Your magical veins
Flowing silver and gold,
Your cumulus cloud glows misty red,
As Apollo sets beyond your head.
Releasing the pressure built over the years
The mountain is crying hot lava tears
Molten rock created under vibrations of
Sub-terranean thunder
Ejecting boulders like pieces of sand
The mountain is
Giving birth to the land.

Under your feet you feel a rumble
As thousands of rocks are starting to tumble
Above the trees where the buzzard flies
Swirling vapors begin to rise
Beneath those misty peaks you hide
A tremendous force boiling deep inside.



Thelonious Coltrane

Grew up listening to Journey's
first three albums:
Journey (1975)
Look into the Future (1976)
Next (1977)
I stopped listening when they
went "pop-oriented" with
Steve Perry. (The Perry years,
however, made them millionaires.
I guess the musical taste of fans
were geared towards "pop" songs).
The only Journey album with Perry
on it that I forced myself to listen to
was Escape (1981).
And, when they chose Arnel Pineda
many years later, I totally stopped listening.
These days, I only go back to Journey's
first three albums.
To each his own, of course.
#peace



All comments from YouTube:

christco120

I love playing this song for people and seeing their disbelief when I tell them it's Journey.

Danny Spitzer

Me too

PresidentGas1

@Jimmy Prater They were so popular throughout the Bay Area then ......young and old alike.

Luz del Rock Prog

The same here

Tepidtooth85

@Vance Kauffman I'd love to hear this full story! How did she bring your whole class to Taco Bell? 😂😂😂

Jimmy Prater

They are the, Real Deal. Winterland S.F. seen them before they ever made it big. First two albums were impeccable

1 More Replies...

George Sarkes

The first album was a complete masterpiece

Thelonious Coltrane

@Rocky B I hear you brother...
Grew up listening to Journey's
first three albums:
Journey (1975)
Look into the Future (1976)
Next (1977)
I stopped listening when they
went "pop-oriented" with
Steve Perry. (The Perry years,
however, made them millionaires.
I guess the musical taste of fans
were geared towards "pop" songs).
The only Journey album with Perry
on it that I forced myself to listen to
was Escape (1981).
And, when they chose Arnel Pineda
many years later, I totally stopped listening.
These days, I only go back to Journey's
first three albums.
To each his own, of course.
#peace

John Lawson

In my opinion the Machine wanted them to apeal to the females so they take on Steve to sing the romantic, love songs. Killed the sharpness like Marty Balin did with the Jefferson Airplane. Santana's best was Caravansarai because like Journey's first albums the solos were great backed up by rythem players totally on top of it. Why do you think the Rolling Stones song Can't You Hear Me Knocking is so great? It's because after they get through with the words, Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Bobby Keys and Keith get to rip it up musically and Mick gets to shut the fuck up! It's the same with Journey, let them playthey're, they're great and get Steve to shut the fuck up....

Brian Rootz

Ear Munchies

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