The Smashing Pumpkins is an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Th… Read Full Bio ↴The Smashing Pumpkins is an American alternative rock band from Chicago. The band was formed in 1988 by Billy Corgan and James Iha, with bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin joining shortly after. Despite going through many lineup changes, the current lineup is identical to the original, with the exception of Wretzky, who would end up leaving the band just before their initial breakup in 2000.

Disavowing the punk rock roots of many of their alt-rock contemporaries, they have a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, shoegazing, and, in later recordings, electronica. Corgan is the group's primary songwriter; his musical ambitions and cathartic lyrics have shaped the band's albums and songs, which have been described as "anguished, bruised reports from Billy Corgan's nightmare-land".

The Smashing Pumpkins broke into the musical mainstream with their second album, 1993's Siamese Dream. The group built its audience with extensive touring and their 1995 follow-up, the double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. 1998's Adore would just barely miss out, peaking at number two. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, the Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, drug use, and diminishing record sales led to a 2000 break-up.

In 2006, Corgan and Chamberlin reconvened to record a new Smashing Pumpkins album, Zeitgeist. After touring throughout 2007 and 2008 with a lineup including new guitarist Jeff Schroeder, Chamberlin left the band in early 2009. Later that year, Corgan began a new recording series with a rotating lineup of musicians entitled Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, which encompassed the release of stand-alone singles, compilation EP releases, and two full albums that also fell under the project's scope—Oceania in 2012 and Monuments to an Elegy in 2014. Chamberlin and Iha officially rejoined the band in February 2018. The reunited lineup has released three albums so far—Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. in November 2018, Cyr in November 2020, and ATUM in 2023.

Blank Page
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Blank page is all the rage
Never meant to say anything
In bed I was half dead
Tired of dreaming of rest
Got dressed drove the state line
Looking for you at the five and dime
Stop sign told me stay at home
Told me you were not alone

Blank page was all the rage
Never meant to hurt anyone
In bed I was half dead
Tired of dreaming of rest
You haven't changed
You're still the same
May you rise as you fall
You were easy you are forgotten
You are the ways of my mistakes
I catch the rainfall
Through the leaking roof
That you had left behind
You remind me
Of that leak in my soul
The rain falls
My friends call
Leaking rain on the phone

Take a day plant some trees
May they shade you from me
May your children play beneath

Blank page was all the rage
Never meant to say anything
In bed I was half dead
Tired of dreaming of rest
Got dressed drove the state line
Looking for you at the five and dime
But there I was picking pieces up
You are a ghost

Of my indecision
No more little girl

Overall Meaning

The song "Blank Page" by The Smashing Pumpkins is a melancholic track that speaks about the feelings of emptiness, weariness, and loneliness. The lyrics describe a person who is tired of their mundane life and is on a quest to find something new and exciting. The opening line "Blank page is all the rage" suggests that the singer is looking for inspiration and a fresh start. They feel like they haven't accomplished anything in life and have nothing to say.

The lyrics then move on to talk about the singer's attempt to escape from their monotonous life by driving to the state line, trying to find someone or something to connect with. The reference to the "five and dime" implies that they are hoping to find a small store that reminds them of a simpler time. However, the stop sign tells them to stay at home, indicating that they are not meant to find what they are looking for outside.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Blank page was all the rage" and "In bed I was half dead, tired of dreaming of rest." The persona is stuck in a metaphysical rut and is looking for someone to get them out of it. However, the lyrics suggest that the person they were looking for is gone, and they are left to deal with their internal struggles alone.

Line by Line Meaning

Blank page is all the rage
Starting anew is in vogue

Never meant to say anything
No words were necessary

In bed I was half dead
Tired and lifeless, seeking respite

Tired of dreaming of rest
Even sleep brought no solace

Got dressed drove the state line
Venturing beyond familiar borders

Looking for you at the five and dime
Seeking a long-lost connection

Stop sign told me stay at home
A warning to remain in place

Told me you were not alone
You had moved on

Blank page was all the rage
Wiping the slate clean was in fashion

Never meant to hurt anyone
No intention of causing harm

You haven't changed
You remain the same