Less influenced by punk than many of their contemporaries, the Pumpkins had a densely layered, guitar-heavy sound, with powerful loud-to-soft-to-loud transitions, while still picking up grunge, heavy metal, power pop, psychedelic rock, shoegazer-style production.
In later recordings, namely Adore, the fourth album, an electronica flair filtered in after Jimmy Chamberlin temporarily left the band for drug rehab. Though Chamberlin returned for their fifth album, Machina/The Machines of God, electronica undertones remained. The emotional tone of bandleader Billy Corgan's songs ranged from angry (X.Y.U.) to dour (Disarm) to jubilant (Cherub Rock).
Selling more than 18.3 million albums in the United States alone (as of 2006), The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, diminishing sales, drug problems, cultural vitality, and what is speculated to be improper treatment from their record company, hampered the band in their later years, leading to the 2000 break-up.
Prior to the complete dissolution of the original line-up, their final tour (dubbed "Sacred and Profane"), featured former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur to fill in the gap left by D'arcy Wretzky, who left in September of 1999. Besides touring with the band she also appeared in the videos accompanying "Machina/The Machines of God".
The band's final album, "MACHINA II / The Friends And Enemies of Modern Music" was unofficially released on vinyl in 2000, prior to their break-up, with the record company refusing to back the band with a pressing. Only 25 vinyl copies were made, each signed by the band. The album was then released across various fan sites by those who received the album and transferred it digitally, as a final tribute to the band's supporters.
Problems have been seen since then with Billy Corgan, James Iha (who later joined A Perfect Circle), and D'arcy Wretzky, both of whom started their own record company Scratchie Records.
Billy Corgan would continue from there first forming the band Zwan with members Matt Sweeney, Paz Lenchantin, David Pajo, and Jimmy Chamberlin. After a bad breakup shortly after their debut album Mary Star Of The Sea Billy turned solo and released the album TheFutureEmbrace. Jimmy Chamberlin formed the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, and Corgan recorded vocals for them on the track entitled Loki Cat.
In mid-April 2006, The Smashing Pumpkins "reunited" with original members Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin. They performed live as The Smashing Pumpkins for the first time in 6 and a half years on May 22, 2007 in Paris, France. There, the band unveiled new members Jeff Schroeder, Ginger Reyes and Lisa Harriton who took over rhythm guitarist, bassist and keyboard duties respectively.
The band's latest studio album, titled "Zeitgeist", was released on July 10, 2007 to mixed reviews. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, #1 on the United World Chart, and in the top ten for several other countries.
On Jan 2, 2008 the Pumpkins released the American Gothic EP exclusively on iTunes as part of an expanded version of Zeitgeist. The four tracks: "The Rose March", "Again Again Again (The Crux)", "Pox", and "Sunkissed" demonstrate a more acoustic sound when compared to the rest of Zeitgeist.
In March, 2008 the group contributed the song "Superchrist" to a compilation CD released by Guitar Center. Though Corgan and Chamberlin have continued to record as a duo, Jeff Schroeder indicated that he might be contributing to future recordings. No longer signed to a record label, Corgan and Chamberlin purchased a recording studio in Chicago and began recording in May, again, as a pair. The band released the single G.L.O.W. on October 1st of 2008.
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Pomp And Circumstances
Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I was freed I fought
Now that I'm loved I'm caught
Between the rest and this tragic mess
An invited guest
Torn, broken and frayed
Oh don't we face
Oh won't you stay
For a while
We can fail in style
I can hold your smile
For a while
What was once new now gone
What was once praised now wrong
As they go, we can say we know
But what do we know
But warm sunshine and graves
Don't we see
What's bitter to taste
Torn, broken and frayed
Don't we face
War, sunshine and graves
Won't you stay
'Cause I won't tell
I won't tell a soul
That I'm mad as hell
Torn, broken and frayed
I'm torn, broken and frayed
No, I'm cold, worn out and shamed
The lyrics to Smashing Pumpkins' "Pomp And Circumstance" are quite cryptic and open to a lot of different interpretations. The first stanza seems to be reflecting on the struggles of life, with the singer feeling like they have lost from the moment they were born, and then they fought to be free, only to end up caught between the "rest" (perhaps meaning the monotony of everyday life) and a "tragic mess". The line "an invited guest" seems to suggest that the singer feels somewhat out of place or unwelcome in their current situation.
The second stanza continues this theme, with the singer feeling torn, broken, and frayed, and facing war, sunshine, and grace (which could represent different forces or emotions pulling them in different directions). They implore the listener to stay with them for a while, so they can "fail in style" and the singer can hold their smile. These lines could be interpreted in different ways, but it seems to convey a sense of wanting companionship in one's struggles and finding a small joy or solace in the midst of tough times.
The final stanza is perhaps the most striking, with the singer professing that they are "mad as hell" but won't tell anyone. They then repeat the phrases "torn, broken, and frayed" and "cold, worn out, and shamed", suggesting that they are feeling a lot of pain and turmoil but are trying to keep it hidden.
Some fans have speculated that this song is about frontman Billy Corgan's personal struggles, while others see it as a reflection of the state of the world at large. Overall, the lyrics to "Pomp And Circumstances" are very abstract and could be interpreted in many different ways, but they definitely convey a strong sense of emotional turmoil and a need for connection or companionship in tough times.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was born I lost
From the moment of birth, life took things from me
When I was freed I fought
When I gained my freedom, I had to fight to keep it
Now that I'm loved I'm caught
Now that I'm loved, there are things I'm forced to do
Between the rest and this tragic mess
Caught between a feeling of normalcy and a terrible situation
An invited guest
In this situation by choice, but still unsure
Torn, broken and frayed
Emotionally and mentally devastated
Oh don't we face
Aren't we confronting
War, sunshine and grace
The ugliness of conflict, along with moments of beauty and kindness
Oh won't you stay
Please stay with me
For a while
Just for a little bit
We can fail in style
Even if we fail, let's do it in our own way
I can hold your smile
I'll try to make you happy
What was once new now gone
The things that were once new and exciting to us are now gone
What was once praised now wrong
Things that were once seen as good are now seen as bad
As they go, we can say we know
As things change, we can pretend to understand them
But what do we know
In reality, we don't really know anything
But warm sunshine and graves
All we know for sure is the warmth of the sun and the finality of death
Don't we see
Can't we understand
What's bitter to taste
That life can be difficult and hard to endure
Cause I won't tell
I won't disclose
I won't tell a soul
I won't tell anyone
That I'm mad as hell
That I'm furious and angry
No, I'm cold, worn out and shamed
Actually, I'm feeling quite drained, exhausted and ashamed
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yyg4632
its sad that this album isnt on spotify
@Daihatzen
but not everybody use Spotify
@THEDEEPDIVE
Best song on Zeitgeist
@danellae.perezschmieloz5958
Lol
@danellae.perezschmieloz5958
It's your fault I'm here so often again
@THEDEEPDIVE
@@danellae.perezschmieloz5958 haha!
@june8898
I agree ❤
@marcotassinari8619
One of the best SP solo, love it!
@chrisothoulos
Love this. So underrated
@ricks8618
Thanks! iTunes took this out of my library and had the hardest time finding it 🙏🏽