Corgan released his first solo album TheFutureEmbrace on June 21st, 2005. It warranted mostly lukewarm reviews from the press and only sold 69,000 copies. It was followed by a tour of Europe, USA, Australia, and Japan.
Trivia:
The scars on his arms and hands in the artwork for TheFutureEmbrace are his birthmarks.
Corgan is also a huge sports fan.
Black Sox
Billy Corgan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
for shoeless joe to come outside
and say hello to them
on the north side they wait
for mordecai to come outside
and sign an autograph
somebody listen, cause nobody cares
somebody listen, cause somebody cares
that the cubbies are playing their hearts out
now somebody listen/cause somebody cares
that the cubbies/are winning today
I'm not much for loving
but I'm all up for dares
The song "Black Sox" by Billy Corgan is a reflection on the bitter divide between the North and South sides of Chicago. The lyrics speak to the hypocrisy and indifference of the fans on both sides, who are idolizing their respective heroes while ignoring the real issues at hand. On the South side, they are waiting for Shoeless Joe Jackson to come out and say hello, despite the fact that he was banned from baseball for his involvement in the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919. On the North side, they are waiting for Mordecai Brown to sign an autograph, despite the fact that he was a member of a Cubs team that never quite lived up to its potential.
Corgan's use of "somebody listen" emphasizes the lack of understanding and empathy between the two sides of the city. The Black Sox, who were known for throwing the World Series, were playing that day, but no one seemed to care. Meanwhile, the Cubs were "playing their hearts out," but it is unclear whether this is because they are genuinely passionate about the game or merely for the love of competition.
The final line of "I'm not much for loving but I'm all up for dares" is a nod to the rebellious spirit of the song. Corgan is not interested in blindly following the crowd or playing it safe; he is more interested in taking risks and challenging the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
on the south side they wait
People are waiting for something to happen on the south side
for shoeless joe to come outside
They are specifically waiting for Shoeless Joe Jackson, a famous baseball player, to come outside
and say hello to them
They want Shoeless Joe to acknowledge them
on the north side they wait
Similarly, people are waiting for something to happen on the north side
for mordecai to come outside
They are specifically waiting for Mordecai Brown, another famous baseball player, to come outside
and sign an autograph
They want Mordecai to sign something for them
somebody listen, cause nobody cares
The singer is calling for attention because no one seems to care about the Black Sox baseball game
that the black sox are playing today
The Black Sox baseball team is playing a game today
somebody listen, cause somebody cares
The artist is calling for attention because someone does care about the Cubs baseball game
that the cubbies are playing their hearts out
The Cubs baseball team is playing with great effort and dedication
now somebody listen/cause somebody cares
Again, the singer is calling for attention because someone cares about the Cubs winning
that the cubbies/are winning today
The Cubs baseball team is currently winning their game
I'm not much for loving
The singer doesn't have strong feelings of love
but I'm all up for dares
The singer is more interested in taking risks and trying new things
Contributed by Owen G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Garcian Smith
Ahh 2004, the Lost Year.
crashcarstar
I forgot about this, thanks Spaldz!
Spaldz
I'd forgotten about it as well! There is a second camera angle in circulation for quite some time of the second song. This angle including Black Sox appeared about 2015 although seemed to go under the radar. Felt it was worth resurrecting 😀
Guitarists Suck
Audio only in the left channel