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.
Purr Snickety
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn around, look around, you'll see
And all your troubles still remain
Set them down, take what you long to me
I'm your pillar of stone
So when the wind cause' you to roam
You can call this house your home
I've got reasons of my own
But you might say I'm nothing way along
All your love won't change
A million miles and a thousand smiles away
All your love won't change
A million miles and a thousand smiles away
The marked characteristic of The Smashing Pumpkins is their ability to deliver profound lyrics through the fore-fronted melancholic overtones of the music. In Purr Snickety, the singer instructs the addressee to notice that their feelings continually are the same, and they should take a glimpse of their environment to realize this. They proceed to encourage them to rest their burdens and confide in themselves, and they, the singer, are their shelter, their guidance - their pillar of stone - and a home they can always come back to no matter how far they wander.
Line by Line Meaning
All your feelings are the same
No matter what emotion you feel, it's just a variation of the same feeling
Turn around, look around, you'll see
Observe your surroundings and you'll have a broader perspective on your issues
And all your troubles still remain
Despite attempts to escape, the problems persist
Set them down, take what you long to me
Let go of your worries and share what you desire with me
I'm your pillar of stone
I'm a source of stability and support for you
So when the wind cause' you to roam
When life's twists and turns push you off course
You can call this house your home
You'll always have a place of refuge here
Only you
You alone have access to this sanctuary
I've got reasons of my own
I have my own motivations and explanations for my actions
But you might say I'm nothing way along
You may think poorly of me, but my actions are still justified
All your love won't change
Affection cannot always fix deep-rooted issues
A million miles and a thousand smiles away
Distance and time cannot erase the problems that remain
All your love won't change
Despite how much you care, it may not be enough to fix the situation
A million miles and a thousand smiles away
The magnitude of the problem is vast and happiness alone cannot solve it
Contributed by Julian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Yurch
I'll never forget when I first saw this illustration in the issue of Rolling Stone that reviewed Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Really captured the band's sense of whimsy.
Leni Toni
it actually makes me mad how slept on this song is fr
Rich Wong
So laid back