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 four albums so far—Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. in November 2018, Cyr in November 2020, ATUM in 2023, and Aghori Mhori Mei in August 2023. The last has been well received for its move away from the synth-heavy Cyr and ATUM, returning to the heavy guitars and drums of the band's 90s origins.
Pomp And Circumstances
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I was freed I fought
Now that I'm loved I'm caught
Between the rest and this tragic mess
An invited guest
Torn, broken and frayed
Oh don't we face
Oh won't you stay
For a while
We can fail in style
I can hold your smile
For a while
What was once new now gone
What was once praised now wrong
As they go, we can say we know
But what do we know
But warm sunshine and graves
Don't we see
What's bitter to taste
Torn, broken and frayed
Don't we face
War, sunshine and graves
Won't you stay
'Cause I won't tell
I won't tell a soul
That I'm mad as hell
Torn, broken and frayed
I'm torn, broken and frayed
No, I'm cold, worn out and shamed
The opening lines of the song Pomp and Circumstances by The Smashing Pumpkins set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The singer reflects on the events of their life, starting from birth, and talks about losing something precious at that time. The next line, "When I was freed I fought," suggests that the singer has struggled to gain their freedom, possibly from a difficult or abusive situation. They have now found love, but there is a sense of being trapped, "caught between the rest and this tragic mess." The line "an invited guest" suggests that the singer may feel like they don't belong or that they are not truly welcome in this new situation.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "torn, broken and frayed" and "war, sunshine and grace," which create a contrast between negative and positive elements. At the same time, they seem to be suggesting that these different experiences are all a part of life and that it is necessary to embrace them in order to truly live. The chorus ends on a plaintive plea to "stay for a while" and embrace the possibility of failing in style.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on the passage of time and the way that things that were once new and exciting can become stale and disappointing. There is a sense of disillusionment as things that were once praised are now seen as wrong. The lines "But what do we know but warm sunshine and graves" suggest that in the end, life may be nothing more than a mix of positive and negative experiences, with death being the inevitable end.
Overall, this song seems to be a meditation on the complexities of life and the difficulties of finding meaning in it. There is a sense of struggle and pain, but also a sense of beauty and possibility.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was born I lost
From the moment of my birth, I was already losing something or someone.
When I was freed I fought
Though I have been liberated, I still had to fight for my freedom.
Now that I'm loved I'm caught
Being loved has its price and its consequences, and I am caught in its aftermath.
Between the rest and this tragic mess
I am caught between the mundane and the tragic mess that my life has become.
An invited guest
I am here by invitation, but I am not sure if I want to stay.
Torn, broken and frayed
I am emotionally and physically damaged.
Oh don't we face
We are confronting something that is difficult and painful.
War, sunshine and grace
We face the dualities of war and sunshine, and the possibility of transforming our pain into grace.
Oh won't you stay
I am asking someone to stay with me, to help me get through this difficult time.
For a while
Just for a little while, until I can stand on my own again.
We can fail in style
We can try and fail, but at least we can do it with our own unique flair.
I can hold your smile
I can remember and cherish your smile, even as everything else in my life is falling apart.
What was once new now gone
What was once fresh and exciting has now disappeared.
What was once praised now wrong
What was once celebrated is now considered morally wrong.
As they go, we can say we know
As others leave us behind, we can console ourselves by saying we know what it's like to be left.
But what do we know
But in reality, we know very little.
But warm sunshine and graves
All we have are memories of warmer days and the inevitability of death.
Don't we see
Can't we realize or understand?
What's bitter to taste
What we are experiencing is unpleasant and hard to swallow.
'Cause I won't tell
I won't betray anyone's trust or reveal their secrets.
I won't tell a soul
I will keep everything to myself.
That I'm mad as hell
That I am deeply angry and frustrated.
No, I'm cold, worn out and shamed
I am feeling emotionally numb, exhausted, and embarrassed by my situation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yyg4632
its sad that this album isnt on spotify
@Daihatzen
but not everybody use Spotify
@THEDEEPDIVE
Best song on Zeitgeist
@danellae.perezschmieloz5958
Lol
@danellae.perezschmieloz5958
It's your fault I'm here so often again
@THEDEEPDIVE
@@danellae.perezschmieloz5958 haha!
@june8898
I agree ❤
@marcotassinari8619
One of the best SP solo, love it!
@chrisothoulos
Love this. So underrated
@ricks8618
Thanks! iTunes took this out of my library and had the hardest time finding it 🙏🏽