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.
Wound
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics
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As you always were
In bathing light
And naked blur
You're a part of me
Eternal one
By grand design
And setting sun
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
Last night I turned around
And thought I saw myself turning
Inside the strangest dream of life
Unloved and cities burning
Awake in my arms
You cry unharmed
Our age of the hours
While they still devour all
So take it all
I doubt if we
Will know it's gone
'Cause we've been here
Since time began
Begged God awake and make these plans
Wound opens
Reveal this broken man
And soon there's notions of blood on his hands
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
Last night I turned around
I thought I saw myself turning
Last night I turned around
And thought I watched the world ending
Inside the crushing down
I felt a pang the tide was turning
Destroyed in the wake
The jealous ingrates
Who'll tear this world down
To spite God above
With his own love
With his own love
If you wait
If you wait
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
The Smashing Pumpkins' song Wound is a melancholic, reflective piece that delves into the theme of eternal love and loss. It begins with an embrace of the eternal nature of the singer's connection to their loved one. The point is driven home through descriptions of a 'setting sun' and 'grand design.' They reiterate this idea by stating that they will be devoted until their 'last breath.'
As we move forward in the song, it becomes clear that the singer is ruminating on a recent, particularly vivid dream. In the dream, they see themselves turning, and as they wake, they are embraced in the arms of their loved one. The lyrics here are particularly powerful, as they evoke a powerful sense of comfort and safety in the face of an uncertain world.
Despite this, a sense of foreboding slowly creates into the lyrics. As the singer awakens, they are engulfed in a world where love is destroyed by the envious and spiteful, who will 'tear this world down / To spite God above / With his own love.' These lines underscore an almost existential hopelessness, where even love and its purest intentions can be subverted and turned against us.
In conclusion, Wound is a poignant reflection on love, loss, and the never-ending cycle of creation and destruction that humanity is a part of.
Line by Line Meaning
There you are
I see you, just as you’ve always been
As you always were
You remain the same, unchanging
In bathing light
Illuminated in soft, gentle light
And naked blur
Appearing shapeless as you are uncovered
You're a part of me
You are an extension of myself
Eternal one
An everlasting and infinite entity
By grand design
The result of a great, meticulous creation
And setting sun
With the sun's descent, time moves forward
If you wait I will wait
I will not leave you behind, we'll wait together
Taste I will taste
I'll experience all that you will
If you love I will love
I'll love you without condition
Run I will run
I'll move as fast and as far as you need
To my last breath
I'll devote all my energy until my very last moment
Last night I turned around
I looked back and felt something was different
And thought I saw myself turning
I pictured a version of myself in motion
Inside the strangest dream of life
In the oddest reality of existence
Unloved and cities burning
Unnoticed and with chaos everywhere
Awake in my arms
Now I'm fully alert and present with you
You cry unharmed
You weep without physical harm
Our age of the hours
The duration of our time together
While they still devour all
When others are wasting their time on meaningless activities
So take it all
Take everything
I doubt if we will know it's gone
We won't even realize it's been taken
'Cause we've been here
We've been in this place for a long time
Since time began
Since the very start of time
Begged God awake and make these plans
Urged God to wake up and create this blueprint
Wound opens
A cut appears
Reveal this broken man
Uncover the flaws within this person
And soon there's notions of blood on his hands
Before long, it's obvious he's to blame and guilty
Last night I turned around
Again, I looked behind me
I thought I saw myself turning
Again, I envisioned myself in motion
And thought I watched the world ending
This time, however, it seemed to coincide with Earth's end
Inside the crushing down
Under the weight of the destruction
I felt a pang the tide was turning
I realized things were changing for the worse
Destroyed in the wake
After the aftermath
The jealous ingrates
The resentful, unappreciative people
Who'll tear this world down
Those who'll bring chaos and destruction
To spite God above
In anger towards God
With his own love
Using the love that is God's essence as a weapon
If you wait
If you're patient
If you wait I will wait
I will wait with you, for as long as it takes
Taste I will taste
I will experience your life, in all its forms
If you love I will love
I will always love you back, in equal measure
Run I will run
I will always be moving, wherever you need me
To my last breath
To the very last moment of my life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William Patrick Corgan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind