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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Real Love
Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blessed she in aching silence, eternal loss
Calling out I won't surrender a locket of her hair
Sympathize her pious pleasures, go down the stairs
Into the dark again
To feel alive again, and wait for
Real love
Is it time
Cause it's now or never
Real love
Real love forever
Real love
Born of the ball and chain
Into a world sustained with sorrow
Real love
A real touch we speak in
Is it ours
Or is it what we're seekin'
Real love
In the eyes, behold and you'll find the 21st century
You detonate her will and her widowed speech
Buried in the backyard shadow, the rusty coffee tin
That held her mother's first kiss in a nameless dream
Fall down the stairs again
To feel alive against tomorrow
Real love
Or is it me you're after
Is it time
Cause it's now or never
Real love
Real love forever
Is it love
Or just yours to treasure
Real love
Real love
Real love
We never listen
Real love will listen
And tell her of a fortune
Real love is riches
Scratch through the changes
Real love is nameless
So tired and hopeless
Real love is painless
Nobody mentions
We ever move to collect
The solar questions
Demon scorn should not relax
The laws of gravity
Real love
The song "Real Love" by Smashing Pumpkins describes the yearning for a deeper connection with someone, a real love that transcends superficiality. The lyrics suggest that the eternal search for true love is a constant theme across generations and even centuries. The opening lines, "Fall into the century on a supersonic cross/Blessed she in aching silence, eternal loss," contain a sense of urgency and longing. The singer seems to be searching for something that has been lost for a long time.
In the second verse, the lyrics give a glimpse into the memories of a woman, buried in a coffee tin in the backyard, which held her mother's first kiss. The song suggests that real love is deep and meaningful, and that it is more than just a physical attraction or social status. The repetition of the phrase "real love" throughout the song is a reminder that the search for love is an ongoing process, and that it never ends.
Overall, the song Real Love is a beautiful and insightful expression of the human need for love and connection. It encourages listeners to pursue true love and to not settle for anything less.
Line by Line Meaning
Fall into the century on a supersonic cross
Jumping into the modern world with unparalleled speed and force.
Blessed she in aching silence, eternal loss
A woman who has suffered loss and sorrow so overwhelming that it has left her in a blessed and painful silence forever.
Calling out I won't surrender a locket of her hair
Desperately clinging on to a memento of a loved one who has passed away, refusing to let go.
Sympathize her pious pleasures, go down the stairs
Understanding and appreciating the simple joys and sacred pleasures that bring happiness to someone, even if it means descending into a dark place.
Into the dark again
To feel alive again, and wait for
Delving back into darkness to feel alive once more, while waiting for something greater.
Real love
Or is it me you're after
Is it time
Cause it's now or never
Real love
Real love forever
Real love
Questioning if what is being pursued is true love, or if it's just a temporary infatuation due to a sense of urgency.
Born of the ball and chain
Into a world sustained with sorrow
Real love
A real touch we speak in
Is it ours
Or is it what we're seekin'
Real love
Being trapped in a life of misery, and seeking a genuine connection that may or may not be attainable.
In the eyes, behold and you'll find the 21st century
You detonate her will and her widowed speech
Buried in the backyard shadow, the rusty coffee tin
That held her mother's first kiss in a nameless dream
Looking closely at someone reveals the essence of today's world, causing a surge of emotions, including grief and longing. A decaying coffee tin buried in the shadows contains a tangible link to a long-lost mother's past, despite being lost and forgotten.
Fall down the stairs again
To feel alive against tomorrow
Subjecting oneself to hardship and pain in the hope of finding a new purpose or reason to keep going the next day.
Real love
Or is it me you're after
Is it time
Cause it's now or never
Real love
Real love forever
Is it love
Or just yours to treasure
Real love
Real love
Real love
Once again Questioning the nature of the connection being pursued, whether it's true love or something that can be selfishly possessed.
We never listen
Real love will listen
And tell her of a fortune
Real love is riches
Scratch through the changes
Real love is nameless
So tired and hopeless
Real love is painless
Nobody mentions
We ever move to collect
The solar questions
Demon scorn should not relax
The laws of gravity
Real love
In a series of phrases, the song emphasizes how real love is keenly aware and attentive to another person's needs, doesn't falter through difficult times, and remains untainted by fame or material possessions. It also highlights the need to seek answers to the big questions through reflecting on one's experiences, with no fear of the unknown.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAM PATRICK CORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind