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.
Mayonaise
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cool enough to not quite see it
Doomed
Pick your pocket, full of sorrow
Run away with me tomorrow
June
We'll try and ease the pain
Well, no one knows
Where our secrets go
I send a heart to all my dearies
When your life is so, so dreary
Dream
I'm rumored to the straight and narrow
While the harlots of my perils
Scream
And I fail
When I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will
Mother, weep the years I'm missing
All our time can't be given
Back
Shut my mouth and strike the demons
Cursed you and your reasons
Out of hand and out of season
Out of love and out of feeling
So bad
When I can, I will
Words defy the plans
But when I can, I will
Fool enough to almost be it
Cool enough to not quite see it
Dull enough to always feel this
Always old, I'll always feel this
No more promise, no more sorrow
No longer will I follow
Can anybody hear me?
I just want to be me
When I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will
The lyrics to The Smashing Pumpkins' song Mayonaise are complex and introspective, addressing themes of lost love and painful memories. The image of being "fool enough to almost be it" suggests regret and the desire to recapture something that is now out of reach. The line "Cool enough to not quite see it" speaks to a sense of detachment or numbness, a willingness to overlook the pain of the past in order to keep moving forward.
The chorus of the song shifts to a more hopeful tone, with the singer urging himself and his listeners to "try, ease the pain" and to remember that "no one knows where our secrets go." The image of picking pockets full of sorrow and running away with someone else underscores the desire to escape the pain of the past and start anew.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of struggle and the acknowledgment that things have not turned out as planned. The lines "And I fail / But when I can, I will / Try to understand / That when I can, I will" suggest a constant effort toward self-improvement, even in the face of setbacks and failure.
Overall, Mayonaise is a powerful and emotionally evocative song that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Fool enough to almost be it
I was foolish enough to be close to achieving something, but not quite there yet.
Cool enough to not quite see it
I was so unaware of my potential that I couldn't even appreciate how close I was to it.
Doomed
Even though I am close to something, I feel like I am destined to fail or face a tragic end.
Pick your pockets full of sorrow
Collect all your sadness and hold onto it, let it consume you.
Run away with me tomorrow
Let's leave our problems and worries behind and escape to a better tomorrow, together.
June
Maybe this new beginning will happen in the month of June.
Try, ease the pain
Let's try to make ourselves feel better, even if it is only temporary.
Somehow we'll feel the same
Perhaps, this feeling of pain is a common human experience and we are not alone in it.
Well, no one knows
There is no definite answer or solution to existential questions.
Where our secrets go
Our deepest secrets about ourselves and others are lost to time and unspoken to others.
I send a heart to all my dearies
I send my love and affection to those dear to my heart.
When your life is so, so dreary
In times of despair and melancholy, we often search for love and support from others.
Dream
Let's not give up hope for a better tomorrow, let's keep dreaming of a brighter future.
I'm rumored to the straight and narrow
People think that I am living my life in a normal and unremarkable way, but they don't see my inner turmoil.
While the harlots of my perils
My enemies and life's obstacles constantly taunt me and worsen my situation.
Scream
Their voices and malice are deafening and hard to ignore.
And I fail
I often make mistakes and fall short of my goals.
But when I can, I will
Despite my shortcomings, I will try my best to achieve my goals when I am able to.
Try to understand
I want to comprehend myself and the world around me better.
That when I can, I will
I will strive towards self-improvement when I am ready to do so.
Mother weep the years I'm missing
My mother is saddened by my absences and missed opportunities in life.
All our time can't be given
We cannot spend all our time on earth the way we want, constraints such as money, work or health can limit us.
Back
Let's go back to the past, to fix our mistakes.
Shut my mouth and strike the demons
I will silence my inner doubts and fears and fight against my self-destructive tendencies.
Cursed you and your reasons
I blame others for causing me harm and look upon their reasons and motives for the harm inflicted upon me as if they are a curse.
Out of hand and out of season
The situation has spiraled out of control and doesn't make logical sense anymore.
Out of love and out of feeling
I am depleted of affection and emotional energy.
So bad
Everything is going very badly.
Words defy the plan
It can be hard to articulate or put into words the inner workings of our thoughts and emotions.
No more promise no more sorrow
I'm done making promises that will only cause more pain and sorrow.
No longer will I follow
I must steer my own path from now on and not let someone else dictate it for me.
Can anybody hear me
Is anyone out there listening to me and truly understanding my struggles?
I just want to be me
I yearn to find and express my true self rather than conform to societal expectations.
Always old, I'll always feel this
I will always carry the weight of my past experiences and its effects on me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William Patrick Corgan, James Yoshinobu Iha
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind