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 scopeโOceania 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 farโShiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. in November 2018, Cyr in November 2020, and ATUM in 2023.
Freak
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
bodies to fill our minds with junk
They call this knowledge but knowing nothing means knowing far far too much
They let our children starve in the name of peace
They march to the beat of a killing machine
Life is not a dream when you cant wake from the dream you wanted
Life is not a dream when you cant wake up from the dream you wanted
Oh
They'll pour the salt from your soul
Oh
They'll pour the salt from your soul
La da da da da da da la da da da da da da da da da
The skies are buzzing and 51 stars and faith and milk
and I'm drinking filth and disease oh pretty please I'm begging freedom
There's life to be blinded servents and candy
Before we paid and then we'll pay some more do ya know
the score cause I'm so fucking bored
Life is not a dream when you cant wake from the dream you wanted
Life is not a dream when you cant wake up from the dream you wanted
Oh
They'll pour the salt from your soul
Oh
They'll pour the salt from your soul
They'll sell your wounds as evidence of your home
La da da da da da da la da da da da da da da da da
La da da da da da da la da da da da da da da da da
Life is not a dream when you can't wake up from the dream you wanted
Life is not a dream when you can't wake up from the dream you wanted
Life is not a dream when you can't wake up from the dream...
Life is not a dream....
Life is not a...
Life is not a dream...
Life is not a dream
The lyrics of The Smashing Pumpkins's song "Freak" in the first and second verses elaborate on the mentality and actions of those in power, who abuse both the earth and their fellow human beings to satisfy their greed. The choice of words, such as "poison," "sacred," "junk," and "knowledge," contrasts the value of the environment and physical bodies versus the degradation caused by non-sustainable human activities. Additionally, the phrase "knowing nothing / means knowing far, far too much" suggests that by ignoring the negative impact of their actions, those in power have actually gained themselves too much power and control. The third verse switches its focus onto the people at the receiving end of the inhumane treatment as they suffer from hunger and death inflicted by the ones who supposedly work toward peace. The metaphor of beating a drum represents the idea that war and violence are a part of the system that allows those in power to stay in power.
The chorus contains the main theme of The Smashing Pumpkins's "Freak," conveyed through the repetition of the phrase "life is not a dream / When you can't wake up from the dream you wanted." One's life is indeed not just imaging or fantasizing when reality does not meet their expectations. There are costs and losses that come with that dream as well. In this song, the dream represents the illusionary state of the world as depicted by those in power. The bridge of the song portrays the struggle for freedom and equality, showing the various divisions created by societal structures like race, religion, and class. The line "they'll sell your wounds as evidence of your hope" suggests that even in the face of oppression, people still hold onto the possibility of a better situation.
* The song "Freak" was released as the lead single from The Smashing Pumpkins's album "Adore" in 1998.
* The music video for "Freak" was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who also worked on the music videos for "Tonight, Tonight" and "1979."
* Despite being the lead single, "Freak" did not chart highly in the United States but reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom.
* According to Billy Corgan, the song's title refers to the idea of being an outsider and finding one's identity in that position.
* "Freak" was one of the few songs on "Adore" that did not feature all four band members, with bassist D'arcy Wretzky not playing on the track.
* The song was listed at number 40 in Kurt Loder's 1998 article "Almost 50 Fantastic Pop Songs You've Never Heard."
* "Freak" was played at nearly every show on The Smashing Pumpkins's 2008 reunion tour.
* Parts of the lyrics for "Freak" were used in the 2012 Smashing Pumpkins track "Owata."
* The song's music video features the band playing in front of green screen projections of moving images, including an atomic bomb explosion, a man on fire, and a spinning Earth.
* The song has been covered by several artists, including The Dresden Dolls and Amanda Palmer.
Chords (as played by Billy Corgan, according to Ultimate Guitar):
Verse: G-D-C-G
Chorus: Em-D-C-G
Bridge: Bm-G-Em-C-G-D-C-G
Line by Line Meaning
They poison our sweet mother earth
The destruction of our environment by those in power is tainting the very essence of our home, making it uninhabitable.
Destroy our sacred bodies
The harmful junk food marketed by corporations is detrimental to our health and well-being, turning our bodies into a vessel for disease.
To fill our mouths with junk and
The endless advertising and promotion of unhealthy food options is leading to a concerning rise in disease and other health issues.
They call this knowledge
The people responsible for promoting unhealthy food options are passing them off as a form of beneficial education, when in reality it is just pushing a harmful agenda.
But knowing nothing
Those in charge of promoting unhealthy food options don't actually know anything about true health and well-being.
Means knowing far, far too much
The fact that those in charge of promoting unhealthy food options know so little is a testament to just how far gone we are as a society.
They let our children
Our children are being negatively affected by the promotion of unhealthy food options, which can lead to potential health problems and a lifetime of unhealthy habits.
Starve in the name of peace
The powers that be sometimes prioritize their own interests over the basic necessities of people, explicitly neglecting the most vulnerable among us.
They march to the beat of
Those in power are following a dangerous, inhumane rhythm that serves their own agenda rather than the needs of the people.
A killing machine
This machine represents a system that is designed to take advantage of and exploit individuals who are defenseless against it.
Life is not a dream
Life is not the fairy tale or happy ending we always dream about or imagine for ourselves.
When you can't wake up from the dream you wanted
Failure to achieve our dreams can be extremely disappointing and can make us feel helpless and stuck in life, unable to realize our true potential.
They'll pour the salt from your soul
Those against us will do whatever they can to wear us down, to deny us our hope and make us feel empty and worthless.
Scars and bars and 51 stars
This is a reference to an oppressive system that is taking away our freedom and forcing us into a cycle of despair and frustration.
In faith and milk and...
This refers to how religion and other social institutions have previously impacted people, potentially negatively, by denying them basic human rights and perpetuating our cycle of struggle.
I'm drinking filth and disease
This line describes how people are consuming unhealthy food and dangerous substances that will negatively impact their health and overall well-being.
Oh pretty please, I'm begging freedom
People are pleading for freedom, those institutionalized systems should not decide who we are, what we can do and where we go.
There's lives to be blinded,
We, as a society are ignoring the consequences of our actions and disregarding the effects of our choices.
Serviced and kinded
Despite the problems we are facing, everyone still has the capacity to be kind and treat others with respect, levelling the field and eradicating the long-lasting problems that have been institutionalized.
Before we've paid
The problems that we're currently facing are the result of the systems that have been institutionalized over time, and we are still paying the price for these mistakes in every way possible.
And then we'll pay some more
The cost of upholding the status quo is being played by the masses, who have to bear the brunt of these burdens over and over again.
Do you know the score?
People are being asked if they are aware of the reality and comprehend just how extensive our problems are, and what they can do to make a real difference.
Cause I'm so fucking bored!
People have grown numb to the world around us, and as a result, society fails to realize the gravity of the situation and doesn't do much about the situation.
They'll sell your wounds as evidence of your hope
The people profiting from our problematic society are capitalizing on our pain, using it to propel their own agenda and make a profit.
Life is not a dream
This line is repeated once again to reinforce the idea that life is not easy or perfect, and we must confront the harsh realities of our world head-on.
Life is not a,
This line is repeated to continue emphasizing that life is not a fairy tale and that there's no quick and easy fix to our problems.
Life is not a dream
This final repetition drives home the idea that we must face reality and work together to create a better future for ourselves and future generations.
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Kimberlyโs Clips
This song is a hidden gem.
Nukeman33
This is by far the best song Ive heard of Billy since the prime of Smashing Pumpkins.
arin comack
I love this song. Wish it was on Apple Music.
ColoredPig
I'm loving this album so far. Great lyrics on this song. (:
WandaDuveux_
I love this song. Supposedly, their CD is gonna take 4 yrs to make and its gonna have 60 songs on it.... I hope they are all as good as this one..
EGM
My only problem with this new album is how slowly it is being released. I realize that he wants to put as much time and effort into every song as if it was its own album, but I love the material and the last time we got NEW material was in November with Tom Tom since The Fellowship had been released on the Vampire Diaries Soundtrack a couple of months before that. I'm really anxious to hear more new material.
shamiir18
I think he's just happy and that's why he's creating this sound, I also believe it's different but good, refreshing and it keeps the same old SP essence, or in other words, BC's way of expressing what he feels in a song, I FKN LOVE THIS BAND
Your Music Show
I tell you what, Teargarden is shaping up to be an incredible album. If it continues at this rate it might even overtake Machina. Amazing song.
Brian
it didn't
Kevin Alamo
This song holds up with The Smashing Pumpkins best.
ย So underrated :(