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.
Quiet
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am sleeping
In here
We need a little hope
For years
I've been sleeping
Helpless
Be ashamed
Mess you've made
My eyes never forget, you see
Behind me
Silent
Metal mercies
Castrate
Boys to the bone
Jesus
Are you listening?
Up there
To anyone at all
We are the fossils
The relics of our time
We mutilate the meanings
So they're easy to deny
Be ashamed
Mess you've made
My eyes never forget, you see
Behind me
Quiet
I am sleeping
Quiet
I am sleeping
Quiet
I don't trust you
I can't hear you
Be ashamed
Mess you've made
My eyes never forget, you see
Behind me
Behind me
The grace of falling snow
Cover up everything you know
Come save me from the awful sound
Of nothing
"Quiet" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins that appears on their second studio album, "Siamese Dream" released in 1993. The song is a fast-paced rock track with heavy guitar riffs and powerful drumming. The lyrics are cryptic but hint at themes of betrayal, shame, and the feeling of being misunderstood or ignored.
The song opens with the lines, "Quiet, I am sleeping, in here we need a little hope," which could be interpreted as the singer retreating from reality or seeking escape from their problems. The following lines, "For years, I've been sleeping, helpless, couldn't tell a soul," suggest that the singer has been struggling in isolation and may have been unable to communicate their pain.
The chorus features the repeated phrase, "Be ashamed, mess you've made, my eyes never forget, you see behind me," which could be directed towards someone who has wronged the singer or towards the singer themselves. The line "We mutilate the meanings so they're easy to deny" could be a commentary on how society has watered down or distorted the truth of important issues, making it easier to ignore them.
In the final stanza, the song takes on a more hopeful tone with the line "The grace of falling snow, cover up everything you know, come save me from the awful sound of nothing." This could be interpreted as someone being saved from their troubles, finding peace in a world blanketed by snow.
Overall, "Quiet" is a song that speaks to feelings of frustration, shame, and isolation, while hoping for a chance to escape and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Quiet
The singer wants silence
I am sleeping
The singer is in a state of rest or unawareness
In here
The singer is indicating a location or space
We need a little hope
The artist is suggesting that something positive is needed
For years
The artist indicates the passage of time
I've been sleeping
The singer has been in a dormant state for an extended period
Helpless
The singer feels powerless
Couldn't tell a soul
The artist was unable to share their experiences with others
Be ashamed
The artist is calling for guilt to be acknowledged
Mess you've made
The artist is acknowledging the negative impact of someone's actions
My eyes never forget, you see
The singer implies that they have all-consuming memory
Behind me
The artist is referencing something in the past
Silent
The environment is quiet
Metal mercies
The singer is making a comparison to metal being merciless in order to describe the negative impact of something else.
Castrate
The singer is indicating that something has been rendered powerless.
Boys to the bone
The artist is indicating that the castrated subject has been drained of their masculinity/identity
Jesus
The artist is invoking Jesus as a figure of salvation in a time of need
Are you listening?
The singer is questioning whether or not anyone is paying attention
Up there
The singer is referencing a higher power
To anyone at all
The artist is indicating a lack of response or help
We are the fossils
The artist is indicating that society is outdated or stagnant
The relics of our time
The artist continues their critique of society as outdated and irrelevant
We mutilate the meanings
The singer is indicating that society has destroyed the true meaning of things.
So they're easy to deny
The artist is indicating that society has made the true meaning of things hard to decipher or ignore.
Quiet
The singer again calls for silence
I don't trust you
The singer is indicating a lack of trust
I can't hear you
The singer is indicating that they are not willing to listen
Behind me
Again, the artist is referencing something in the past that they are leaving behind
The grace of falling snow
The artist is describing the beauty of a snowy scene
Cover up everything you know
The singer is suggesting that something needs to be covered or hidden
Come save me from the awful sound
The singer is asking for help to escape from something negative
Of nothing
The artist is indicating a lack of something significant
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAM PATRICK CORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind