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.

By Starlight
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

By starlight I'll kiss you
And promise to be your one and only
I'll make you feel happy
And leave you to be lost in mine
And where will we go
What will we do?
Soon said I will know

And are you just like me?
Dead eyes, dead eyes
Are you just like me?
Her eyes, her eyes were as vacant as the seas, yeah
Dead eyes, dead eyes
Are you just like me?

And all along we knew we'd carry on
Just to belong
By starlight I know you
As lovely as a wish granted true
My life has been empty, my life has been untrue
And does she really know, who I really am?
Does she really know me at last
And are you just like me?

Dead eyes, dead eyes
Are you just like me?
Her eyes, her eyes were as vacant as the seas, yeah
Dead eyes, dead eyes
Are you just like me?

And are you just like me?
And are you just like me?
And are you just like me?

Uh, uh, uh
Uh, uh, uh

Overall Meaning

The song "By Starlight" by The Smashing Pumpkins is a beautiful ballad about a love that promises to last forever. The lyrics speak to the idea of two individuals coming together, losing themselves in each other's love, and finding a sense of belonging and purpose. The first verse, "By starlight I'll kiss you, And promise to be your one and only," sets the tone for the rest of the song, emphasizing the idea of committing to one person exclusively. As the song progresses, there is a sense of wonder and curiosity about what the future holds for the two lovers, and a question of whether or not they truly understand each other's hopes and dreams.

The chorus introduces the idea that the singer and their lover have something in common, as they share "dead eyes." The imagery here suggests there may be a sense of apathy or sadness in each of them that they recognize in each other. The second verse continues to describe the singer's thoughts about their lover, highlighting their beauty and the feeling that they complete the singer's life. However, there is a sense of doubt that creeps in about whether or not their lover truly knows who they are. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, leaving the listener to wonder if the singer and their lover truly understand each other.

Line by Line Meaning

By starlight I'll kiss you
I will kiss you under the light of the stars

And promise to be your one and only
I pledge to be your only lover

I'll make you feel happy
I will bring joy to your life

And leave you to be lost in mine
I want you to be lost in my love

And where will we go
Where will we travel to

What will we do?
What activities will we engage in

Soon said I will know
I will find out soon

And are you just like me?
Do we share the same qualities

Dead eyes, dead eyes
Eyes that lack expression

Are you just like me?
Do we have a similar demeanor

Her eyes, her eyes were as vacant as the seas, yeah
Her eyes were as empty as the vast oceans