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.
Hello Kitty Kat
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should go before you make me cry
She wants to bleed every drop inside of me
But I am to please the little girl inside of me, too
Yeah, yeah
You know I hate to say it
Oh no, I always stay
Who is sorry now?
Who is sorry now?
If I show you how,
Will you let me down?
Slit my wrists and die a whore
Love to love to love what you adore
I can give you anything,
But please let me be your everything
You lose
Yeah, yeah
You know I hate to say it
Oh no, I always stay
I don't want to be like the others, please
Who is sorry now?
If I show you how,
Will you let me down?
Will you let me down?
Who is sorry now?
Who is sorry now?
My love is weakness
My love is oh so wrong
My love is sadness
My love is oh so strong
My teeth are razor sharp
My love is fucking strong
I'll be with you
But not for long
Oh, oh, oh
Yeah, yeah
You know I hate to say it
Oh no, I always stay
I don't want to be like the others, please
Who is sorry now?
Who is sorry now?
Who is sorry now?
If I show you how,
Will you let me down?
Will you let me down?
Please let me down
Please let me down
(song's over)
The lyrics of "Hello Kitty Kat" by The Smashing Pumpkins are complex and dynamic, delving into themes of pain, love, and the murky side of relationships. The song begins with an ominous warning to say hello before you say goodbye, acknowledging the impermanence of relationships. The singer then expresses a desire to leave before being hurt, fearing that their partner wants to "bleed every drop inside of me." However, they acknowledge that they are also trying to please their own inner child.
The chorus of the song asks the question "Who is sorry now?" and pleads for the partner not to let them down after showing vulnerability. The second verse takes on a darker tone, with the singer contemplating self-harm and holding contradictory emotions of wanting to give everything while also acknowledging that their love is damaging. The song ends with a plea to be released from the pain of the relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of "Hello Kitty Kat" are raw and visceral, exploring the complexity of human emotion within the context of a tumultuous relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Say hello before you say goodbye
Do me the courtesy of acknowledging our relationship before you sever it
I should go before you make me cry
I don't want to be hurt any further, so I should leave before you bring me to tears
She wants to bleed every drop inside of me
This person desires to take all of my emotional and physical energy and deplete me
But I am to please the little girl inside of me, too
Although I am being used, I am also seeking validation and acceptance by fulfilling the desires of my inner child
Yeah, yeah
You know I hate to say it
Oh no, I always stay
I don't want to be like the others, please
I am reluctant to admit it, but I am a people-pleaser and always put others before myself out of fear of rejection
Who is sorry now?
Who will regret their actions and behavior in this situation?
If I show you how,
Will you let me down?
If I give you my all, my vulnerability, will you abandon me and disappoint me?
Slit my wrists and die a whore
I am so desperate for love and attention that I am willing to harm myself to satisfy my desires
Love to love to love what you adore
I am drawn to giving affection and devotion to those I am partially obsessed with
I can give you anything,
But please let me be your everything
I am willing to be everything to you, but I also want to be the center of your world
You lose
Your shortsightedness and mistreatment of me will ultimately cause you to lose my love and affection
My love is weakness
My love is oh so wrong
My love is sadness
My love is oh so strong
My teeth are razor sharp
My love is fucking strong
I'll be with you
But not for long
My love is simultaneously comforting and toxic, causing deep attachment but also potential harm, and although I may be devoted for a brief time, it won't be sustained
Please let me down
I want to be able to let go of this unhealthy connection, but I am afraid to do it alone
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WILLIAM PATRICK CORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind