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.
Blew Away
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I don't want to fade
Blew, blew
And if you love her
You know it will come true
And if you need her
You know that she'll be there
Stay awake, I lie here
With her and I fall
And when I wake inside you
I know you know I'm yours
Blew, blew away
But I don't want to fade
Blew, blew
And if you're sad, too
Until the angel sings and touches you
Don't confuse my only life
I said blew, and please don't ever leave
And I will grieve, and remember thee
Hope to meet you there
And I want to let her know
That I won't let her go
I want to let her know
That I love her so
I'm blew, blew, blew away
But I don't want to--
Blew, I love you
Blew
The Smashing Pumpkins' song Blew Away is a love song with a somewhat melancholic tone. The opening stanza "Blew, blew away, but I don't want to fade" sets the tone for the rest of the song where the singer appears to be struggling to hold on to a relationship that is gradually slipping away. The second stanza "And if you love her, you know it will come true, and if you need her, you know that she'll be there" suggests that the singer's partner is staunch and loyal, but the singer is still haunted by their own insecurities.
The chorus "Blew, blew away, but I don't want to fade" repeats twice after the first two stanzas. It appears to be a petition to whoever the singer is addressing to not let their love for each other fade away. There is a touch of despair and urgency to the repetition that suggests that time is running out and that this is the singer's last attempt to salvage their connection.
The third and final stanza "And I want to let her know that I won't let her go, I want to let her know that I love her so" brings the song to a close. The singer finally gains the courage to articulate their love for their partner and reaffirm their commitment to their relationship. The last couplet "I'm blew, blew, blew away, but I don't want to--Blew, I love you, Blew" is somewhat ambiguous. 'Blew' could either be a person's name, or a description of the singer's emotional state of being, signifying that they are feeling blown away by the experience of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Blew, blew away
The singer feels like he's been blown away from his loved one or from something that meant a lot to him.
But I don't want to fade
Although he's been blown away, the singer doesn't want to forget or let go of what he's lost.
Blew, blew
A repetition of the first two lines, emphasizing the sense of being lost.
And if you love her
The singer is addressing someone, telling them that if they truly love someone, their love will be returned.
You know it will come true
When you love someone, your love has the power to make your dreams come true.
And if you need her
If you ever need someone, that person will be there for you no matter what.
You know that she'll be there
True love and friendship mean being there for each other in good times and bad.
Stay awake, I lie here
The singer is trying to stay awake, remembering the one he loves.
With her and I fall
The memory of the person he loves is so powerful that he feels like he's falling into it.
And when I wake inside you
The singer is either dreaming or imagining being with the one he loves, so much that he feels like he's merging with that person.
I know you know I'm yours
The singer feels like he belongs to the one he loves and that person belongs to him.
And if you're sad, too
The singer is acknowledging that sometimes, even love and belonging can't keep the sadness away.
Until the angel sings and touches you
But he believes that love can be a source of comfort and that someday, something good will come and touch your heart.
Don't confuse my only life
The singer is warning someone not to mistake his passions, dreams, and loved ones for something trivial or replaceable.
I said blew, and please don't ever leave
The singer is talking to the person he loves, still reeling from the pain of being separated from them and begging them not to go away again.
And I will grieve, and remember thee
The singer acknowledges that the pain of the loss won't go away easily and that he will cherish the memory of the person he loves forever.
Hope to meet you there
The singer is hoping that someday he will be reunited with the person he loves, either in this life or the next, and he will never lose them again.
And I want to let her know
The singer is still talking to the person he loves, wishing he could be with them now and wanting to express his feelings.
That I won't let her go
He's promising that he won't let go of what he has with the one he loves, no matter what.
That I love her so
The singer declares his love, saying it out loud and with all his heart.
I'm blew, blew, blew away
The last repetition of the first lines, emphasizing the sense of being lost but also hinting at the possibility of being blown back to where he belongs.
But I don't want to--
The singer is cut off, perhaps suggesting that there's more he wants to say but he can't find the words.
Blew, I love you
The last line of the song, expressing the essence of the singer's feelings and the power of love that transcends distance, time, and adversity.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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