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.
Soot and Stars
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Decisions made
Idea's mine
But the inspiration not
Dreams of hangers-on
Dreams of getting well
Spells of esmeralda
Amarose fortold
Splinters in the eye
Sentiments remain
Bones are never asked
Where are we going to
It was never up to me
And yet I pushed until it broke
I love the open road
And all that it suggests
Wheelwagon dust
Weeds and infidelities
And always swore our love
Never questioned why
In a wooden house
Immovable and silent
And drinking strawberry wine
Forever lost in town
And through the sleeping streets
Nightbound and heavy
Wheels in a spoke
Just a spoken foreign sound
Know my gates are high
My friends even higher
Forgotten in my mind
Yet the scars still lingering
Cloud the blue skies
I'm jealous of you birds
Was the only truth
In a world full of words
Hear the prairie sound
In a friend called Neil
The heart is pointed down
But my spirit pointed up
His voice the siren
Of greek mythology
I pause with my pen
I begin to defend
Every action taken
Every moment sealed
When i was quick
It coursed through open veins
The will to live
The urgency to move
Behind a panel door
Sealing cherry stain
I played my guitar
And lived those lonesome notes
Like a dog that's down
In a corner just aside
Waiting to be called
Waiting to be yours
Ghosts of a machine
Without purpose or will
I'll often speak of you
But the you was always me
'Cause when i speak of me
It's me I ask of you
So let there be no truth
Just trickery in rhymes
Time the only thing
Waiting still is death
I hope for resolution
Pray one defining moment
Pause without restraint
Barren without child
A child is who I was
A child is who I'll die
A child is who I'll die
Soot in my hair
And stars in my hands
Soot in my hair
And stars in my hands
Soot in my hair
And stars in my hands
The lyrics to The Smashing Pumpkins' song "Soot and Stars" are filled with imagery and metaphors that convey a sense of restlessness and uncertainty. The first verse seems to explore the tension between the ideas and decisions that come from within and the inspiration that comes from without. The singer dreams of success and recognition ("dreams of hangers-on"), but also of healing ("dreams of getting well"), and perhaps even of magic ("spells of esmeralda / amarose fortold"). The line "bones are never asked / where are we going to" suggests a kind of blind determination, of pushing forward despite not knowing where the journey will lead.
The second verse introduces themes of love and loss, with the singer describing a wooden house that is "immovable and silent" and drinking "strawberry wine." There is a sense of nostalgia and longing here, as well as an awareness of the transience of life ("forever lost in town"). The third verse seems to touch on themes of power and isolation, as the singer speaks of gates that are high and friends that are even higher, and scars that still linger. The line "I'm jealous of you birds" suggests a desire for freedom and escape, but also a cruel awareness that such things are out of reach.
Overall, "Soot and Stars" is a song that seems to be grappling with big ideas and emotions, from the search for inspiration and meaning to the pain of loss and isolation. The imagery is vivid and poetic, weaving together themes of magic and romance with more grounded, real-world concerns.
Line by Line Meaning
The words flow
The words come easily, flowing out without much effort
Decisions made
Making decisions without too much thought or hesitation
Idea's mine
The idea is my own creation, my own original thought
But the inspiration not
However, the inspiration to come up with the idea did not come from within me
Dreams of hangers-on
Fantasizing about the people who cling onto me for success or fame
Dreams of getting well
Dreaming of improving my health, both mentally and physically
Spells of esmeralda
Magical and mystical thoughts of a person named Esmeralda
Amarose fortold
Amarose predicted something, whether it be good or bad
Splinters in the eye
Small, irritating fragments in my eyes that cause discomfort
Sentiments remain
The emotions and feelings still exist, unchanged over time
Bones are never asked
My physical body is not consulted when making decisions or plans
Where are we going to
Questioning the destination or end goal, wondering where we will end up
It was never up to me
Realizing that the outcome or decision was out of my control
And yet I pushed until it broke
Despite knowing it was out of my control, I continued to push until the situation was broken or damaged
I love the open road
Enjoying the freedom and adventure that comes with traveling
And all that it suggests
Appreciating the possibilities and opportunities that come with being on the open road
Wheelwagon dust
The dust kicked up by a wagon wheel, a symbol of traveling and journeying
Weeds and infidelities
The imperfections and flaws that exist in every journey or relationship
And always swore our love
Making a promise of love, despite the difficulties and challenges that may arise
Never questioned why
Not questioning the reason or purpose behind our love or journey
In a wooden house
In a static, unchanging environment
Immovable and silent
Completely still and quiet, lacking any movement or sound
And drinking strawberry wine
Drinking a sweet and enjoyable beverage, finding pleasure in small things
Forever lost in town
Feeling stuck or trapped in a situation or environment
And through the sleeping streets
Walking quietly through the deserted streets at night
Nightbound and heavy
Feeling weighed down by the darkness and heaviness of the night
Wheels in a spoke
The sound of wheels turning as they move through the streets
Just a spoken foreign sound
A sound that is unfamiliar or foreign to me
Know my gates are high
Acknowledging the barrier that exists between myself and others, making it hard to connect with them
My friends even higher
Even my closest friends are still separated from me by this barrier
Forgotten in my mind
Forgetting about the people who are separated from me, both physically and emotionally
Yet the scars still lingering
The wounds and emotional pain still affecting me, despite not thinking about it consciously
Cloud the blue skies
The emotional pain and scars that exist within me darken and cloud the beauty of the world
I'm jealous of you birds
Feeling envious of the freedom and ability to fly that birds possess
Was the only truth
The only thing that was real and true
In a world full of words
In a world filled with lies and empty promises
Hear the prairie sound
Listening to the peaceful and calming sounds of the prairie
In a friend called Neil
Finding comfort and solace in a dear friend named Neil
The heart is pointed down
Feeling depressed or sad, with the heart pointing downwards metaphorically
But my spirit pointed up
Despite feeling down, my spirit remained high and positive
His voice the siren
Neil's voice acting as a beacon or guiding light through the darkness
Of greek mythology
Comparing Neil's voice to the sirens in Greek mythology
I pause with my pen
Stopping to think and reflect while writing
I begin to defend
Starting to justify and rationalize my actions and decisions
Every action taken
Analyzing and critiquing every decision and action that has been made
Every moment sealed
Every moment is final and unchangeable, permanently sealed in time
When i was quick
When I was impulsive and made decisions quickly
It coursed through open veins
The adrenaline and energy of impulsive decisions flowed through my body
The will to live
The desire to keep living and pushing forward in life
The urgency to move
Feeling a strong need to keep moving forward in life, rather than staying still
Behind a panel door
In a quiet and private space, hidden from the world
Sealing cherry stain
Covered in a layer of red built-up emotion or memories
I played my guitar
Finding solace and expression through playing the guitar
And lived those lonesome notes
Finding comfort and meaning in the lonely and melancholy sounds of the guitar
Like a dog that's down
Feeling defeated and sad, like a downed dog
In a corner just aside
Feeling hidden away and unnoticed in the corner
Waiting to be called
Waiting for someone to notice and call me out of hiding
Waiting to be yours
Desiring to belong to someone, to be loved and wanted
Ghosts of a machine
Feeling like a ghost, an empty machine without true purpose or emotion
Without purpose or will
Lacking motivation or desire to do anything without direction or purpose
I'll often speak of you
Frequently talking about someone else, deflecting the attention away from myself
But the you was always me
Realizing that when I talk about another person, I am actually talking about myself and my own experiences
Cause when i speak of me
Talking about my own experiences and thoughts
It's me I ask of you
Asking others for help or guidance, but actually searching for answers within myself
So let there be no truth
Embracing the ambiguity and uncertainty of life, without expecting to find any concrete answers
Just trickery in rhymes
Playing with language and words to create clever and elusive messages
Time the only thing
Realizing that time is the only constant, unchanging thing in life
Waiting still is death
Despite the passage of time, death is still an inevitable end waiting for everyone
I hope for resolution
Wishing for a clear and satisfying end to a conflict or problem
Pray one defining moment
Hoping for a single moment or event that will change everything and provide clarity
Pause without restraint
Taking a moment to pause and reflect, without holding anything back or repressing any thoughts or emotions
Barren without child
Feeling empty and lacking, without the ability to create or give birth to anything
A child is who I was
Remembering a time when I was young and innocent
A child is who I'll die
Facing the fact that I will always have a childlike wonder and innocence within me, even in death
Soot in my hair
Having traces or reminders of past hardships or struggles on my physical body
And stars in my hands
Feeling hopeful and inspired, holding onto the possibility of achieving greatness or finding success
Soot in my hair
Repeating the past mistakes or struggles, unable to fully escape them
And stars in my hands
Despite this, still clinging onto dreams and aspirations of greatness or success
Soot in my hair
Remembering and acknowledging the hardships and struggles of the past
And stars in my hands
Continuing to hold onto hope and aspirations for the future
Contributed by Reagan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Spiritualchick82
This sounds so old-timey and beautiful. What a gorgeously melancholic sound this song has.
@jayvee5686
I know. I love so many of these rare or unreleased songs that Billy came up with but never made it onto albums.
"Sparrow" and "Blissed and Gone" are good too.
I like when Billy writes sad stuff lol
@Spiritualchick82
@@jayvee5686 Exactly. He's great at writing the songs with a sad feel.
@marks497
Well put
@MarinaChaparro
@@Spiritualchick82 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
@EveLily372
That's the way I talk. Lol
@moongirl270
I love this song and had it on my Spotify playlist until it was taken off Spotify. Now I blast this on my tv and lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. Thank you
@ajaxmatooks4883
Glad I'm not the only one
@ectoplasma5
I was exactly doing that right now :)
@CyanideOfficialMusic06
Did they take Judas O off Streaming Services? Why?